by Michael Stein:

*The picture on the right I don’t mention at all, but it was about a Black man who was killed in the Boston Massacre. This was pretty much swept under the rug.

Hi everyone! I went to the Gibbes Museum, and the item that I chose was a bust of George Washington. It sounds like it’s not really anything interesting at all, just another picture of one of the Founding Fathers. But there was a reason why I picked it out of many other incredible items (I told them I was there for a project and they had a lady come give me the whole spiel [and the third floor was awesome Black art and Great Depression art]) — Washington was depicted in Roman outfit, with short curled hair like a soldier’s. 

First off, I’m noting that this was an interesting time period where pretty much all the best sculptors were studying in Italy, not America. So, Ceracchi, the artist, had to come to America to make this piece. Its importance to Charleston comes from archaeologist John Middleton, who bought the bust around 1820. He’s apparently important (he has a wikipedia page, although it’s very short). His importance really comes from his family: his father was Continental Congressman Arthur Middleton (who signed the Declaration of Independence), and his older brother was the Governor of SC at one point.

But back to the bust itself: it’s a little weird to see Mr. Washington depicted in this way. I feel like I always see him in his Revolutionary War garb, perched majestically, or dressed in all black with his white hair. So, to see him in a style that, to me, since I’m uneducated in sculptures, reminded me of Caesar, was a bit weird. It reminded me of a very militaristic and strong person, especially someone who loves White western values. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all, but I don’t necessary think of Washington as someone like Caesar, even though I guess in many ways they are. That’s really how this visit changed my thoughts. This connection showed me that maybe there’s more to think about when comparing the U.S. to Rome. Also, the poetry that we have been reading was really where this connection started for me. Phillis Wheatley’s “His Excellency General Washington” and Annis Boudinot Stockton’s “Addressed to General Washington” really were where this idea sort of began.

I would say that it’s quite clear why it’s been preserved and displayed — we can never get enough of GW. Concerning Charleston in the late eighteenth century, we can really tell that the wealthy were often still romanticizing the Revolution. I don’t think this is a bad thing at all, and I assume that honestly, most people in the United States were doing this. I don’t think it shows much that’s unique about Charleston — unless you look at this in a bad light. Instead of seeing Washington as we normally see him, we could see him as a power hungry general who pissed enough people off that he was assassinated. I think this is a totally interesting way to look at this piece. There really wasn’t much explanation as to why it was done in this manner, Washington in Roman outfit, but I think that this bad light was not intended.

But that’s just my thoughts. Let me know what you think. I had a great time at the Gibbes, and will definitely go back.