This was the face of the living, strong George Washington in 1785.
A French sculptor was commissioned to make a full size statue of him for the state capitol in Richmond, VA. He wanted to get the face right, so he made this. He put goose quills in George’s nostrils so he could breathe, and plastered his face up for posterity.
It’s not a death mask, it’s a LIFE mask. Washington was 63 years old.
He looks manlier and less weird than in his portraits. In life, with this manly commanding face and a height of 6’3″ in a world of men about 5’7″, he would have been intimidating as hell.