Dolly Madison and the Lansdowne Portrait

During the British attack on Washington in August 1814, First Lady Dolley Madison ordered the removal of Gilbert Stuart's full-length portrait of George Washington (the Lansdowne portrait) from the White House to prevent its destruction. Contemporary accounts credit her with directing its removal; some later accounts claim she personally rescued the painting. Historians debate the exact details of her role, but the portrait was preserved and eventually returned to the White House collection.