Visit of the Prince of Wales, President Buchanan, and Dignitaries to the Tomb of Washington at Mount Vernon, October 1860
In 1860, the nineteen-year-old Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) visited the tomb of the man who had led the Continental Army to victory over the forces of Great Britain in the American Revolution. Demonstrating the renewed harmony between the two nations, President James Buchanan stands beside the heir to the British throne as he pays his respects at this American shrine. The clouds above the assembled crowd of dignitaries take the form of George Washington's profile.
Credit: Bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston
1861
Oil on canvas
69.3 x 138.1cm
1906.9.18
Image and text: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2023
Where you'll find this
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Permanent collection