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Primary sourcePainting1778

Nathanael Greene

Charles Willson Peale · 1778

An earlier miniature portrait of Nathanael Greene by Charles Willson Peale, showing him during his years in Washington's army.

This earlier Peale portrait depicts Greene during his service as quartermaster general in Washington's army.

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Black-and-white photograph of an oval miniature portrait of a man with powdered hair, wearing a dark coat and white cravat, against a dark background, set on a blue backdrop.
Charles Willson Peale, Nathanael Greene, 1778. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This miniature portrait of Nathanael Greene was painted by Charles Willson Peale in 1778, and a photograph of the painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Painted earlier than Peale's later gallery portrait, this image shows Greene during the Valley Forge period, when he served as quartermaster general under George Washington. Comparing it with later portraits shows how artists depicted Greene at different stages of his military career.

Look closer

  • How does this earlier image of Greene compare to later portraits made after his Southern campaign?
  • What might the choice to paint a small miniature, rather than a large portrait, suggest about its use or owner?
  • Why is this image a photograph of the painting rather than the painting itself?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Nathanael Greene on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Handwritten manuscript letter on yellowed, creased paper, folded into sections, written in cursive ink in multiple columns. Visible text includes 'Dorchester near Boston 15 Feby 1784' and a passage about the writer's Continental Army affairs; a note on the right reads 'Inscription for the cannon... Taken from the British and presented to Major General Greene by order of Congress.'Letter

Primary source

Nathanael Greene Papers

Nathanael Greene · 1775–1786

Oval portrait of a man with powdered gray hair, wearing a tan coat with a dark blue collar and gold epaulettes bearing silver stars, and a white cravat. Dark background, gilded oval frame.Painting

Primary source

Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene

Charles Willson Peale · 1783

Oval painted portrait of a man with powdered gray hair wearing a tan coat with dark blue lapels, gold epaulettes with star insignia, and a white cravat, set against a dark background within a gold frame.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of Nathanael Greene

Charles Willson Peale

Oval miniature portrait painting of a man in a blue military coat with gold-yellow facing, white cravat, and powdered white hair, turned to his left. Gold border with an inscription reading Nathanael Greene, Brigadier-General in the Continental Army, painted from memory 1792.Painting

Secondary source

Nathanael Greene (1742-1786)

John Trumbull · 1792

Painting of a winter battle scene with stormy grey sky. Mounted George Washington in a tricorn hat sits centrally on a brown horse, facing left toward wounded and fallen soldiers. Officers in blue and buff uniforms surround him; a white horse and fallen figures lie in the foreground, with a drum and a dropped flag on the ground.Painting

Secondary source

The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776

John Trumbull · 1786 (begun), completed 1828

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