
In the Margins of History: Washington & Slavery
08/14/24 • 103 min
George Washington was many things: general, president, family man, and slaveholder. This giant of American history had a complex relationship with the enslaved—and often invisible—laborers who made his achievements possible. But through the art historical record, we can catch glimpses of these individuals and discover how they impacted Washington's life...and legacy.
Today's image: John Trumbull, George Washington (1780). Oil on Canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARTHISTORY and get on your way to being your best self.
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New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast
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George Washington was many things: general, president, family man, and slaveholder. This giant of American history had a complex relationship with the enslaved—and often invisible—laborers who made his achievements possible. But through the art historical record, we can catch glimpses of these individuals and discover how they impacted Washington's life...and legacy.
Today's image: John Trumbull, George Washington (1780). Oil on Canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
______
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARTHISTORY and get on your way to being your best self.
______
New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch!
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast
TikTok: @artofhistorypod | @matta_of_fact
Previous Episode

J.C. Leyendecker: The Making of American Manhood
Artist and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) helped shape modern American visual culture as the mind behind advertising campaigns like the legendary “Arrow Collar Man.” He was also responsible for countless covers for the Saturday Evening Post—one more, in fact, than Norman Rockwell.
Modern biographers also hold that Leyendecker was a gay man. Critics are now asking themselves whether his sexuality permeated into some of his most iconic commercial illustrations.
Today's Image: J.C. Leyendecker, “Record Time, Cool Summer Comfort,” (advertisement for Kuppenheimer menswear) (c. 1920). Oil on canvas. National Museum of American Illustration, Newport.
______
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARTHISTORY and get on your way to being your best self.
______
New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch!
Subscribe to my newsletter, The Fascinator.
Email: [email protected]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/matta_of_fact
Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast
TikTok: @artofhistorypod | @matta_of_fact
Next Episode

Madame X, Unveiled
The story behind John Singer Sargent’s iconic painting, Portrait of Madame X, rarely focuses on on the life of its subject, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. A prominent Parisian socialite known for her striking beauty, Amélie's story before and after Sargent's portrait speaks volumes about attitudes towards women in the elite circles of Belle Époque Paris.
Today's artwork: John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Madame X (1884). Oil on Canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
____________
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARTHISTORY and take a step toward a more fulfilled, more curious you.
____________
New episodes every month. Let's keep in touch!
Subscribe to my newsletter, The Fascinator.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @artofhistorypodcast
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