Pub Date: 8/27/24
★ “Readers get two character portraits here: that of impatient, action-oriented Washington and that of the freewheeling Stuart, who broke from the ‘sit still’ school of portraitists…The illustrations, done with acrylics and pencils, have a whimsical, cutout quality, with swirling brushstrokes in the background emulating Stuart’s signature brushwork and putting the emphasis on the characters, while occasional sidebars convey a wealth of historical information. Readers will gain an appreciation of the arduous art of portrait painting, with the added humor of Stuart’s psychological tricks…A captivating exploration of the making of one of history’s most famous portraits.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “An account of the rocky relationship between the U.S.’s first president and his most famous portrait painter… A timeline at the end daubs in further biographical details about the disparate duo, and the whole not insignificant historical anecdote is capped by closing comments on Washington’s “tooth troubles” and why his picture on the dollar bill has him facing the other way. The result is a humorous yet enlightening work that humanizes seemingly distant or imposing figures. A lighthearted, illuminating, and thought-provoking look at a brief but meaningful historical moment.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review