George Washington, White marble statue at Virginia State Capitol, United States
George Washington is a life-size marble statue showing him standing with a walking stick in hand. His left arm rests on fasces decorated with a sword and cloak, symbols of Roman authority carved in classical style.
Virginia's legislature commissioned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1784 to create this work for the state capitol. The finished piece was installed in the rotunda during the 1790s after completion.
The statue shaped how Americans remember Washington and served as a model for countless other monuments across the country. When you look at it, you see the standard image that defines a founding father.
The statue sits in the rotunda of the Capitol building, where visitors can view it from different angles as they walk through. The space is easy to move around in, so you can examine the marble work and details at your own pace.
Houdon traveled to Mount Vernon and took measurements of Washington directly, even casting a life mask of his face. This made the statue one of the most accurate representations of what he actually looked like.
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