The First Lady who saved a portrait of George Washington during the burning of Washington was Dolley Madison. In August 1814, British troops were advancing on Washington, D.C., after defeating American forces at Bladensburg. President James Madison had already left the capital, and Dolley supervised the evacuation of the White House.
Dolley insisted that the large portrait of George Washington be rescued before she departed. The painting was a copy of Gilbert Stuart’s famous Lansdowne portrait, which showed Washington in his presidential role. Because the artwork was screwed tightly to the wall, removing it intact was too slow. Dolley ordered the frame to be broken so the canvas could be taken away.
The portrait was saved by White House staff and servants, including Paul Jennings, rather than carried out personally by Dolley. British forces later burned the White House and other public buildings on August 24, 1814. The rescued image became one of the most famous symbols associated with Dolley Madison, although the story is sometimes simplified to suggest that she physically removed the painting herself.