C. W. McAlpin Collection
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Collection information
Abstract
The C. W. McAlpin Collection of portraits of George Washington came to The New York Public Library as a gift in 1942. While the collection of 1,700 items consists mainly of prints on paper, it also includes textiles, medals, statuettes, boxes, pins, and other objects bearing Washington’s likeness. Many of the prints were copied from paintings by prominent artists of Washington’s time, such as Gilbert Stuart, Charles Willson Peale, John Trumbull, and Edward Savage, and it is interesting to observe various printmakers’ distinct interpretations of those works. Other prints, usually termed “fictitious” and based on the artists’ own imaginations, were not intended to offer a true likeness. Many prints were intended for the walls of public and private buildings, but some served utilitarian purposes, gracing currency, bonds, labels, calendars, and upholstery and, quite often, illustrating books and magazines. A number of prints in the collection are represented in multiple states, or degrees of completion.
Dates / Origin
Date created: 1758
Library locations
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection
Shelf locator: MEZHB