Dave Cox of Greenville, Ohio was sorting through documents stored above one of Manhattan’s first taverns when he stumbled across a miniature color painting of a man in profile labeled “G. Washington.” On the back of the portrait he found the inscription, Property of White Matlack. New York, 1790 He asks History Detectives to find out whether the artist painted this portrait from life. And, who was White Matlack?
George Washington Miniature is given microscopic scrutinyPBS
Margaret Holben Ellis of the Morgan Library Conservation Center gives the portrait microscopic scrutiny. She reveals details that tell indicate this is something other than a mere painting. She also helps make out more of the faded writing on the back.
Monday, August 16 at 9 p.m. on PBS-HD.
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