George Washington on a White Charger

This painting of George Washington (1732–1799) on horseback was found in the small town of Bernardston, Massachusetts. Painted on four attached boards, this work may have been produced by a self-taught artist a few decades after Washington's death. The popularity of Washington's image in American folk art testifies to his place in the national imagination. Whether portrayed as a military leader on horseback or as a thoughtful chief executive, many Americans associate the life of our first President with the founding myths of our nation.