Kyle and Eric are joined by art aficionado Rae to dive into the surprisingly dramatic world of Gilbert Stuart’s portraiture—yes, the guy behindthat George Washington portrait you see everywhere. They uncover the juicy details behind Stuart’s creative genius (and financial chaos), the careful crafting of Washington’s image to fit America’s budding identity, and even some macabre tidbits about grave robbing in the name of art.

But that's not all—this episode introduces thevery first POTUS Rating Scale, where the hosts boldly rank the presidents, starting with Washington. Spoiler alert: the father of our country sets the bar pretty high, but does get a perfect score?

With plenty of  banter and unexpected twists, the conversation wraps up by celebrating the enduring legacy of art, leadership, and why Washington’s face deserves all the glory (and maybe even some shade).

Key Takeaways:

• Gilbert Stuart’s portraits made Washington iconic and set artistic benchmarks.

• Washington’s image was a PR masterpiece, crafting America’s cultural identity.

• Stuart’s life was a roller coaster of creative brilliance and financial disasters.

• The Enlightenment brought realism (and a little science) to art.

• Grave robbing, surprisingly, has a history in the art world.

• Portraits were the 18th-century equivalent of Instagram: status, style, and legacy.

• Washington’s leadership set the gold standard—but how does he rank on the POTUS scale?

• Art and architecture preserve cultural identity and reflect human ingenuity.

Stick around for the final POTUS rating—and enjoy an episode packed with art, history, and fun—because even the Founding Fathers deserve a little constructive criticism.

Credits:

Rae’s Substack

Fife and Drum music:

"Fife and Drum" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Gilbert Stuart:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gilbert_Stuart_by_Sarah_Goodridge,_c._1825,_watercolor_on_ivory,_from_the_National_Portrait_Gallery_-_NPG-NPG_92_120detStuart-000002.jpg

Declaration of Independence Painting:https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/the-declaration-of-independence-277574

Landsdowne Portrait:https://flickr.com/photos/hragvartanian/2442423789

Arnolfini Wedding Portrait: Jan van Eyck, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 Portrait of a lady:Lawrence Kilburn (1720-1775), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Salon de Madame Geoffrin:Anicet Charles Gabriel Lemonnier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pigments:https://www.rawpixel.com/image/5927129/photo-image-public-domain-celebration-free

Cincinnatus:Louvre Museum, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

The Skater:National Gallery of Art, CC0, via WikimediaCommons

Spencer Family: Frederick R. Spencer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Lady Ashburton: Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gilbert Stuart self portrait: Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathering Brass Yates: Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gilbert Stuart grave: Biruitorul, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Athenaeum portraits George and Martha: Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Painting of the Treaty of Paris:Benjamin West, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Quincy Adams: Creator:Phillip Haas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Smithsonian Gallery:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Mummy brown: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons