Paintings of Mount Vernon by Edward Savage

Although these two paintings never hung at Mount Vernon, their importance as the earliest known eyewitness views of the house and grounds cannot be overestimated. They date between 1787, when the Dove of Peace weathervane was added to the cupola, and 1792, the year the outbuildings' roofs were repainted to a Spanish brown color and the deer paddock near East Lawn was removed. The East Front encapsulates the bucolic setting of the Mansion, while the West Front captures the bustle of everyday life at George Washington's famed estate.

Edward Savage possibly stopped at Mount Vernon when traveling north from South Carolina in 1791 or 1792. He perhaps painted these canvases from sketches made at that time. Although this attribution cannot be confirmed, the architectural details and figures suggest Savage's hand and he is known to have exhibited canvases depicting Mount Vernon during his lifetime.

Bequest of Helen W. Thompson, 1964 [H-2445/A-B]