U.S. Masonic Presidents, 2012
Digital Illustration
Gregory B Stewart
Freemasonry has a rich history wrapped in American political culture. In particular, a history tied to several American Presidents. This digital illustration is an encapsulation of those great (and infamous) political leaders.
What makes this piece all the more meaningful is the quote from Washington woven into the virtual fabric of the illustration. Washington’s quote to the members of King David’s Lodge in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1790, reads, “Being persuaded that a just application of the principles, on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded, must be promotive of private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interests of the Society, and to be considered by them as a deserving brother.”
The text in the background Is Thomas Paine’s The Origin of Freemasonry.
Of particular interest in the art is how the presidents surrounding Washington are rendered. Using a technique to produce an engraving like quality, each President has the same appearance as the image Washington on the one-dollar bill.