View of Mount Vernon
Joachim Ferdinand Richardt (1858)
How do the stories left out of the history books change how you understand the past?
Mount Vernon was a slave plantation and the home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. After Washington’s death the property deteriorated drastically—as evidenced here by the exposed and warped porch column. In 1858, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union purchased the mansion and surrounding land for $200,000 and founded the nation’s first historic house museum.
\ Artist
Joachim Ferdinand Richardt
Danish-American
Born:
1819
Died:
1895
Death place:
San Francisco, California
Joachim Ferdinand Richardt was born in Denmark in 1819. He became an established artist with wealthy patrons including the king of Denmark, the Russian czar, and British royalty. He traveled to the United States for private commissions, eventually settling with his family in San Francisco in 1873. By the time he arrived in San Francisco, the city had grown beyond its frontier beginnings, and he is known for romantic depictions of his adopted home.
\ About
Medium
Oil on canvas
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Mary L. Balfe in memory of J. M. Balfe