It is an excellent example of guided exploration of a painting as the basis to learn about the sitter. The user can use three filters to explore the portrait—symbolic, biographic and artistic—each offering a different interpretation. The is an excellent model of an approach that could be used with many other artistic works.

George Washington: A National Treasure uses very innovative and engaging methods to explore a single portrait. The ‘filters’ that allow one to explore the work via allegory, history, etc. are very clever and represent using the medium in ways that would not be possible in printed materials...The format allows for the inclusion of a fair amount of historical information, which, in the case of the Landsdowne Portrait, is entirely appropriate...It brought to life a somewhat ‘boring’ painting, and show the significance and meaning behind it. It did this using innovative technology.

The Smithsonian’s interactive tour of a famous portrait of our first president is a prime example of how the Web is capable of blending lavish eye-candy with information from an authoritative source.