George Washington has long been something of an American visual cliche. When the Russian diplomat and artist Pavel Svinin visited the United States in the early 19th century, he found it 'noteworthy that every American considers it his sacred duty to have a likeness of Washington in his house, just as we have images of God's Saints.' Today, the country is no less prone to canonizing versions of patriotism, though they go well beyond art. As the nation's 250th anniversary nears, the Trump administration has come up with observances that show a limited image of American history, as in its visually conventional The Story of America video series, full of yellowed parchment and tricorn hats. Other commemorations are essentially celebrations of the current president: The U.S. Mint is set to issue a commemorative gold Donald Trump coin, and one of the administration's first observances of the anniversary year was a military parade that coincided with the president's birthday. Such...
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