Portrait of Washington

# Catalog Note

This 1851 Boston publication by Charles Fox presents an engraved portrait of George Washington allegedly drawn from life by artist Nathaniel Fullerton in 1776 while Washington reviewed Continental forces on Boston Common. The work comprises historical documentation rather than fiction: a biographical sketch of the short-lived artist Fullerton (who suffered from consumption and died in India), and a substantial collection of testimonials from Boston citizens and officials who had personally seen Washington. These witnesses—including Hon. Harrison G. Otis, Jeremiah S. Boies, and John P. Whitwell—attest to the portrait's fidelity, comparing it favorably to other known likenesses. Their accounts describe Washington's dignified bearing, penetrating eye, and sallow complexion during his visits to Boston in 1776, 1789, and thereafter. The testimonies are presented as evidentiary proof of the portrait's authenticity and accuracy.