“There Are in America, No Kings, Princes, or Nobles”: Caesar, Cato, and Washington Exhibition

Kelsey in Focus: Installment #13 In celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday, our latest Kelsey in Focus installation examines the links between the Founding Fathers and ancient Rome. As Washington’s legend grew after stepping away from the presidency (1796) and after his death (1799), depictions of him referenced ancient Rome. Antonio Canova’s beloved 1820 work, George Washington, portrayed the first president writing his farewell address clothed as Cincinnatus, a Roman statesman who voluntarily gave up the role of dictator and chose to return to life as a farmer. In contrast, Horatio Greenough’s 1840 sculpture, Enthroned Washington, was much hated since it depicted Washington as a king or god—flying in the face of the republican ideals of America.