Nov 12, 2013

The Maryland State House was closed to the public recently for an important occasion, the removal of one of the State’s most precious art pieces for a one-year restoration. The 1859 painting, “Washington Resigning His Commission,” by Edwin White, is “unquestionably one of the most important paintings ever commissioned by the state of Maryland,” said Alexander Lourie, Curator of the Maryland Commission on Artistic Property.

: Art handlers from Artex spent most of a day removing and packing the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. Here, they prepare the painting for being taken down slowly with the help of cranes. The painting will be restored over the course of a year and then re-installed. The marble walls and banisters are protected by styrofoam sheets and padding during the operation. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Professional art handlers from Artex remove the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. It will be restored over the course of a year and then re-installed. Here, senior art handler Lisa Border, left, and Hannah Thresher, right, steady the frame from ladders as it is lowered. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Calder Brannock, right, and other professional art handlers from Artex steady the frame as they work on removing the 1859 painting of George Washington. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: This is a detail of a corner ornament from the frame of the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Professional art handlers from Artex remove the frame and 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Alexander Lourie, right, curator of the Maryland Commission on Artistic Property, talks with architect Mark Schneidman, center, about the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Art handlers dismantle the frame from the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Professional art handlers from Artex look at an ornamental cartouche that was situated on top of the frame of the painting. Bruce Gugliuzza is on left; Hannah Thresher is in center, and conservator William Lewin is on right. Mr. Lewin will be restoring the frame. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Workers from Artex remove part of the frame from the 1859 painting from the main stairwell at the State House. It will be restored over the course of a year and then re-installed. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: This is a detail of part of the frame from the 1859 painting of George Washington resigning his commission from the main stairwell at the State House. It will be restored over the course of a year and then re-installed. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: The painting was too large to be removed from any of the doors in the State House, so it was taken out through a window, which itself had to be taken out. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Professional art handlers remove the 1859 painting from the main stairwell at the State House. Because of the painting’s size, it had to be removed from the State House through one of its first floor windows. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

: Professional art handlers remove the giant painting of George Washington. Because of the painting’s size, it had to be removed through one of the first floor windows The painting will be restored over the course of a year and then re-installed. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)

The painting depicts George Washington, Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army, resigning his commission. This historic event took place in 1783 in the Old Senate Chamber in the Maryland State House.

The artwork, which has hung in the grand staircase since 1904, is so large that it had to be removed through one of the building’s large first floor windows. It could not fit through any of the doors.

A crew of professional art handlers performed a “highly choreographed operation,” according to Mr. Lourie. They carefully lowered the painting from the wall, separated it from its ornate gilded frame and packed it for transport.

The painting by White and the frame, which was made by Samson Cariss of Baltimore, will be restored over the next year and will return to the grand staircase where it has hung since 1904.

George Washington gets a face lift

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