Life of Washington

Life of Washington is the name of a set of thirteen murals painted by Victor Arnautoff located in San Francisco's George Washington High School.^[1] As indicated by their title, they depict George Washington at various real and imagined points in his life.

The work was the largest mural by a single artist that the WPA funded.^{[2][better source needed]}

History[]

The Works Progress Administration commissioned Victor Arnautoff to paint a mural at the newly opened George Washington High School in San Francisco's Richmond District, San Francisco. Upon its completion, the San Francisco Chronicle called it “one of the major masterpieces of fresco on this coast".^[3]

1960s and 1970s protest[]

Student activists sought to remove the mural in the 1960s and 1970s due to its depiction of slavery and violence against Native Americans. Members of the Black Panther Party demanded that the mural be destroyed and that a Black artist be hired to paint the replacement, recommending painter Dewey Crumpler for the job. The San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Board of Education hired Crumpler to paint a "response mural" that depicted the historic struggles of people of color in America but did not destroy the Washington mural.^[4]

2019 destruction attempt[]

In June 2019, the San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously to paint over all thirteen panels.^[5] Prior to the decision, eight out of 11 members of a community panel voted to archive the murals and then paint it over “because the mural does not represent SFUSD values”.^[3] Supporters of removing the mural included alumna Lateefah Simon.^[3] Some alumni have previously complained that the imagery of slavery and dead Native Americans are harmful to students.^[5]

Opponents of removing the mural included Amos Brown and alumnus Danny Glover.^[6][7] Jillian Caddell of the Apollo arts magazine wrote, "Arnautoff’s focus on Native Americans, enslaved African Americans, and a rioting underclass overthrowing British tyranny provides a template for telling a different story of America’s foundations."^[8] Professor Robert Cherny of San Francisco State University argued that the mural was created as a counter narrative to what was being taught in schools at the time.^[9] Crumpler, who had painted the response mural in the 1970s, advocated for keeping the mural in 2019. He said, “Art’s role, if it’s any good, is to make us uncomfortable with the status quo”.^[10]

The decision was subsequently reversed in August 2019, with 4 to 3 vote to cover up the mural with panels instead.^[11] The George Washington High School Alumni Association sued the school board for its failure to conduct an environmental review as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. On July 27, 2021, superior court judge Anne-Christine Massullo ruled in favor of the alumni association, preventing the school from covering the mural.^[12] Judge Massullo wrote: "Neutral administrative procedures must be applied without regard to political interests."^[13]

Style and themes[]

Arnautoff painted the mural directly on wet plaster in the social realist style, much akin to the works of his mentor, Diego Rivera.^[3]

Arnautoff was "[...] a well known radical" and communist, and he painted other murals considered by some to be controversial.^[14]

See also[]

• Man at the Crossroads (1934) — Fresco by Diego Rivera destroyed over its communist themes
• Pioneer Monument (1894) — A portion of this San Francisco monument was removed in 2018 over its depiction of Native Americans

References[]

External links[]

• Art & Architecture
• CityLab
• Living New Deal - George Washington High School: Arnautoff Mural
• Living New Deal - The “Life of Washington” Murals Explained
• The Internationalist