To the victor goes the oils.

This early 19th century heroic portrait of George Washington sits in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

According to the placard near the painting, Gilbert Stuart was commissioned to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Washington's taking of Boston's Dorchester Heights, the military feat that caused the British to flee the city in March of 1776.

The placard also notes that Stuart chose to paint Washington not as a younger man, but as an older and more presidential version of himself.

Another interesting fact: Washington, who passed in 1799, sat three times in person for Gilbert Stuart. One of those paintings became the image that still graces America's one-dollar bill.

How to view "Washington at Dorchester Heights":

Kristin and Roger Servison Gallery (Gallery 133), Museum of Fine Arts

IMAGES

Gilbert Stuart, "Washington at Dorchester Heights", 1806, Museum of Fine Arts, "Deposited by the City of Boston"; Photo of painting - Wonder Shuffle