New York: John C. McRae, ca.1860. Engraving by J. C. McRae. 14 7/8 x 21 3/4. Repaired tear top margin not affecting image. Light scuffing in margins. Else, very good condition.
A sentimental image of George Washington and his mother issued by New York publisher, John C. McRae. McRae produced large, uncolored engravings of historical scenes in the mid-nineteenth century. Here he engraved the scene after a painting by Henry Brueckner. Washington is shown sitting with his mother in a parlor, richly furnished in an anachronistically Victorian style. Many retrospective historical prints of the mid-nineteenth century were issued as part of the myth-making of American history that was popular at the time. This print is typical of the type, and it provides not only a visually interesting document, but one that tells us more about the period when it was issued than of the period depicted.