Two nearly identical portraits of George Washington by Charles Peale Polk, depicting him after the 1777 Battle of Princeton, will be auctioned on consecutive days in New York. Christie’s offers a 1793 version (number 53) on January 23, estimated at $200,000–$300,000, which was selected by Jackie Kennedy for the White House in 1962 and remained there until 1992. Sotheby’s offers a 1790–93 version (number 30) on January 24, estimated at $400,000–$600,000, previously sold at Christie’s in 1971 and at Sotheby’s in 2010 for $458,500. Both paintings have passed through Hirschl and Adler Galleries and depict Washington in uniform with Princeton’s Nassau Hall in the background.
The sale comes as the U.S. enters its 250th anniversary year, adding symbolic weight to the auction. Polk painted at least 57 versions of this composition, with examples held by Princeton University Art Museum and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. The 1793 version’s White House provenance and the potential for billionaire collectors like Ken Griffin or David Rubenstein to acquire it highlight the intersection of American history, patriotic collecting, and the art market. The outcome could set a new auction record for Polk, whose current record is $662,500 set in 2009.