[Presumed image]
Pencil on paper,
Size unknown (1779)

Washington sat for a pencil drawing by du Simitière in New York City on 1 February 1779.  The sitting was arranged by John Jay, who was then President of the Continental Congress, and lasted only about 45 minutes. 

By 16 September of that year Du Simitière had completed a group 15 pencil drawings of American military and political leaders.  On that date he delivered the drawings to the French minister Conrad Alexander Gérard, who took them with him to France to be engraved in a series of medallion-style portraits.  Two additional drawings were added on October 18.  Advertisements for the series appeared in the Mercure de France in February 1781.  Pirated editions appeared swiftly, beginning in Spain and including two editions in England.

The present-day survival of the original Du Simitière drawing of Washington is unknown.