The Freemasons in Washington
This life-sized painting depicts George and Martha Washington with Martha's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, and her granddaughter, Eleanor Parke Custis. George, Martha, and Eleanor are huddled at a table that is covered with a large map of Washington. In his book Da Vinci in America: Unlocking the Secrets of Dan Brown's "The Solomon Key," Greg Taylor points out that their hands create a triangle, a shape which figures prominently in Masonic lore. Martha's grandson is holding a compass, a Masonic symbol.
The painting was given to the gallery by prominent Mason Andrew W. Mellon. The gallery in which the painting resides was designed by architect John Russell Pope, who also designed the House of the Temple.
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