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George Washington- Unfinished Portrait
This morning I heard a funny story on NPR radio and thought I share it with you. Apparently Martha Washington had commissioned Gilbert Stuart to paint two separate portraits, one of her self and the other of her husband. This is the portrait that is the basis for the picture you can find on the dollar bill. The couple would occasionally check on the artist to see the WIP, but the artist kept delaying the delivery date.
Once George Washington paid an unannounced visit and discovered that the artists had been using the unfinished portraits as advertisements to "knock"out copies of the portraits and selling those.
Apparently, president Washington was rather amused by this and let the artist continue making copies for $100 each.
Needless to say the original commissioned pieces were never completed, since the artist died three years later.
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