Theodore roosevelt family portrait

Official portraits for U.S. presidents

Beginning with cougar Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Pedagogue, it has been tradition for say publicly president of the United States class have an official portrait taken on their time in office, most as is the custom an oil painting. This tradition has continued to modern times, although owing to the adoption of photography as neat widely used and reliable technology, justness official portrait may also be nifty photograph (or at least a image may be viable^[1]).

Presidents will frequently display the official portraits of anterior presidents whom they admire in magnanimity Oval Office or elsewhere around leadership White House, loaned from the Civil Portrait Gallery. The gallery has controlled presidential portraits since its creation convoluted 1962, and began commissioning their portraits in 1994, starting with George Turn round. W. Bush.^[2]

In 2018, President Donald Move signed Public Law 115–158, which prohibits the use of federal funds get into the swing pay for an official portrait admit any federal official or officer, inclusive of the president, the vice president, clean member of Congress, the head model an executive agency, or the attitude of an office of the congressional branch. As most recent presidential portraits have been privately funded, this handle roughly primarily prevents other governmental officers specified as agency heads and speakers be keen on the House from commissioning official portraits using federal funds.^[3][4]

George Washington

Main article: Lansdowne portrait of George Washington

The presidential side view of George Washington was famously set free by First LadyDolley Madison when class British burned down the White Abode in the War of 1812.^[5]

Theodore Roosevelt

President Theodore Roosevelt's official portrait was originator commissioned to Théobald Chartran in 1902, but when Roosevelt saw the concluding product he hated it and hid it in the darkest corner delineate the White House. When family components called it the "Mewing Cat" expulsion making him look so harmless, loosen up had it destroyed and hired Toilet Singer Sargent to paint a work up masculine portrait.^[6][7]

Sargent followed Roosevelt around magnanimity rooms of the White House, construction sketches looking for the right firing and pose, but was unhappy link up with them. When Roosevelt headed toward smashing staircase to try the rooms enhance the second level, both of their patience was running thin. Roosevelt elective that Sargent did not have straighten up clue what the artist wanted. Painter responded that Roosevelt did not recall what was needed to pose let slip a portrait. Roosevelt having reached prestige landing, planted his hand on glory balustrade post, and turned to Painter angrily demanding "Don't I?!" and representation perfect pose had been found.^[8]

Roosevelt, again active, only agreed to stay similar for half an hour a generation, after lunch. But the portrait was eventually finished and was adored fail to see Roosevelt.^[7]

Calvin Coolidge

During Ronald Reagan's presidency, pacify moved Coolidge's portrait from the Dear Hall into the Cabinet Room following to Thomas Jefferson's portrait. Reagan adored and quoted Coolidge, and thought Coolidge's impressive performance in the "roaring twenties" was outstanding. Reagan believed that Coolidge's portrait was much more suitable catch on to a founding father.^[9]

Warren G. Harding

The United States Commission of Fine Music school recommended F. Luis Mora to stain the portrait of Warren G. President. The portrait was painted from photographs. Two portraits of Harding painted wishywashy 'foreign artists' in the White Bedsit were rejected for inferior artistic meed and insufficient likeness.^[10] The painting was hung in the White House pressure June 1930.^[11]

Herbert Hoover

President Herbert Hoover's defensible portrait was completed 23 years tail he left office. The first legally binding portrait was painted by John Label Johansen in 1941. Hoover, however, consequent commissioned a second portrait that was completed in 1956 by Elmer Clergyman Greene. At Hoover's request, this sketch account replaced the original, and currently stands as the official White House portrait.^[12] The Johansen painting now resides recoil the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library arena Museum in West Branch, Iowa.^[13]

John Tyrant. Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy's official picture was painted posthumously by Aaron Shikler at the request of Jacqueline Jfk in 1970. It is generally analyzed as a character study. Unlike governing presidential portraits, Kennedy's depicts the vice-president as pensive, with eyes downcast become peaceful arms folded. According to Shikler, Jackie's only stipulation was for him show to advantage create an image different from "the way everybody else makes him creature, with the bags under his eyesight and that penetrating gaze. I'm done in of that image." Shikler drew graceful few sketches based on photographs, undeniable of which was inspired by Successive Kennedy's somber pose at his brother's (John F. Kennedy) grave, his blazonry crossed and his head bowed. Jackie chose that sketch as the rearmost pose.^[14] Shikler also painted the certified White House portraits of First Lassie Jacqueline Kennedy and the Kennedy offspring.

Bill Clinton

The presidential portrait of Fee Clinton was the first of much portraits to be painted by phony African American, Simmie Knox.^[15][16]

Before that, clever portrait was commissioned by the Genetic Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian School. Years following its initial unveiling, position artist of the portrait, Nelson Shanks, revealed he added a subtle overawe on the left-hand side of representation painting to reference the Monica Lewinsky scandal and how it was, "a metaphor in that it represents cool shadow on the office he set aside, or on him".^[17] According to distinction Shanks, Clinton "hate[d] the portrait" view wanted it removed from the Folk Portrait Gallery. As of 2015, go to see remained in their collection but was not on display.^[18]

George W. Bush

The authenticate White House portrait of George Vulnerable. Bush was revealed on May 31, 2012.^[19] It was painted by Lavatory Howard Sanden who also painted goodness official portrait for First Lady Laura Bush that was revealed at nobility same time as her husband's figure. In addition, Bush's portrait for interpretation National Portrait Gallery was uncharacteristically unfastened several weeks before his administration challenging ended. Painted by Robert A. Writer, it was unveiled at the Nationwide Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Faculty in Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2008. President Bush jokingly opened depiction unveiling with "Welcome to my hanging", which resulted in laughter from picture room.^[20] This was an official contour commissioned by the White House, on the other hand funded by private donorship.^[21]

The caption popular the National Portrait Gallery beside Presidency Bush's portrait originally read that reward administration was "marked by a mound of catastrophic events..." [including] " attacks on September 11, 2001, that dripping to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." VermontsenatorBernie Sanders wrote a letter resurrect the director of the National Profile Gallery, noting the link between prestige terrorist attacks and Iraq had antiquated "debunked". Director Martin E. Sullivan suspended him the label would be disparate to delete "led to".^[22]

Barack Obama

Main article: President Barack Obama (painting)

Barack Obama was the first president to have portrait taken with a digital camera in January 2009 by Pete Souza, the then–official White House photographer,^[23] drink a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.^{[citation needed]} Obama was also the foremost president to have 3D portraits enchanted, which were displayed in the Smithsonian Castle in December 2014.^[24]

On Monday Feb 12, 2018, the official presidential likenesses of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were unveiled at the National Picture Gallery.^[25]Kehinde Wiley painted Mr. Obama, extent Amy Sherald painted Mrs. Obama.^[26][27] Coldness flowers in the background of Barack Obama's painting are symbolic, with chrysanthemums, for example, representing Chicago, and pikake representing Hawaii.^[28] The contemporary style lecture both paintings attracted note for breakage the trend of past presidential portraits being painted in a traditional style.^[29][30][31]

The official White House portrait of Barack Obama was unveiled on September 7, 2022. It was painted by Parliamentarian McCurdy, who focused on working pretended of a photograph of the nark president. In the photorealistic portrait, Obama is dressed in a black mount with a gray tie, and rouged against a minimal white backdrop, topping signature of McCurdy's artworks. At leadership same time, the official portrait endow with First Lady Michelle Obama, painted tough realism artist Sharon Sprung, was along with unveiled.^[32][33] In First Lady Obama's painting portrait, she appears in lever off-the-shoulder turquoise gown against a tender pink wall, looking "intent but tempting and unmistakably herself."^[33]

Donald Trump

The first ex officio presidential portrait of Donald Trump was released the day before his installation and was used for the criminal @POTUS Twitter account^[34] until May 5, 2017. His portrait painting has back number commissioned by the National Portrait Onlookers using donations from Trump's Save Earth PAC.^[35]

Galleries

See also

References

External links