Description
Oil on fabric painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris titled Washington and His Family, 1798. Painting depicts Washington seated with Stuart family members. While George Washington Parke Custis and Nelly Custis grew to maturity, other members of the extended Custis and Washington families periodically visited Mount Vernon. Among them were the children of John (Jacky) Custiss widow, who had become Mrs. David Stuart and the mother of additional offspring from her second marriage. Ferris re-creates one of the visits by the Stuarts. Through this conceit, the artist effectively suggests both the public and the private accomplishments of the man who had created a nation for the future generations of all Americans, but who was also a caring, father-figure to his own family.
