Famous George Washington painting to be restored
By BRETT ZONGKER
WASHINGTON (AP) - One of the most famous portraits of George Washington will soon get a high-tech examination and face-lift of sorts with its first major conservation treatment in decades.
The National Portrait Gallery has begun planning the conservation and digital analysis of the full-length "Lansdowne" portrait of the first president that was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. Work will begin in 2016 to delicately remove a yellowed varnish to reveal its true colors. They will use digital X-rays and infrared imagery to examine the artist's work beneath the surface.
Bank of America provided a recent grant to fund the project.
Officials say this is part of a "refreshing" of the galleries that hold the presidential portraits to eventually give more historical information about each president's achievements, challenges and events in office.
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