Art in the White House

The White House's art collection, sometimes also called the White House Collection or Pride of the American Nation,^[1] has grown over time from donations from descendants of the Founding Fathers to commissions by established artists.^[2] It comprises paintings, sculptures, and other art forms.^[3] At times, the collection grows from a president's specific request, such as when Ronald Reagan began collecting the work of naval artist Tom Freeman in 1986, a tradition that continued through the Obama years.^[4]

History

The White House's Art collection was established by an Act of Congress in 1961 and grew extensively during the Kennedy Administration.^[5] It now includes more than 65,000 objects if individual items are catalogued.^[6] As of 2021, there are more than 500 pieces on view under the care of the White House Curator and the White House Historical Association,^[7] and these are often complemented by those on loan from museums.^[8]^[6]^[9]

Gallery

Portraits

Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, 1796
Portrait of John Adams by John Trumbull, c. 1792−1793
Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
Portrait of Andrew Jackson by Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, c. 1835
Portrait of William Henry Harrison by James Reid Lambdin, 1835
Portrait of Millard Fillmore by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1857
Portrait of John Quincy Adams by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
Portrait of Franklin Pierce by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
Portrait of Martin Van Buren by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
Portrait of James Knox Polk by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
Portrait of John Tyler by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1864
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1869
Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt by John Singer Sargent, 1902
Portrait of William Howard Taft by Anders Zorn, 1911
Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt by Frank O. Salisbury, 1947
Portrait of John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler, 1970

Non-portraits

To the Genius of Franklin by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, c. 1778
Landing of the Pilgrims by Michele Felice Cornè, between c. 1805 and c. 1807
The President's House by George Munger, between c. 1814 and c. 1815
Mouth of the Delaware by Thomas Birch, 1828
City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard by George Cooke, 1833
Dismissal of School on an October Afternoon by Henry Inman, 1845
Lighter Relieving the Steamboat Aground by George Caleb Bingham, 1847
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Niagara Falls by John Frederick Kensett, c. 1852−1854
Going to Church by George Henry Durrie, 1853
Jones Inn, Winter by George Henry Durrie, 1853
Boston Harbor by Fitz Hugh Lane, 1854
Boys Crabbing by William Ranney, 1855
Farmyard in Winter by George Henry Durrie, 1858
Independence Hall in Philadelphia by Ferdinand Richardt, between c. 1858 and c. 1863
Waiting for the Hour by William Tolman Carlton, 1863
The Peacemakers by George P.A. Healy, 1868
Liberty by Constantino Brumidi, 1869
Union by Constantino Brumidi, 1869
Sailing off the Coast by Martin Johnson Heade, 1869
The Rainbow in the Berkshire Hills by George Inness, 1869
Cannonading on the Potomac by Alfred W. Thompson, c. 1869
Nocturne James Abbott McNeill Whistler, c. 1870−1877
Storm Clouds by Albert Bierstadt, c. 1880
Surf at Prout's Neck by Winslow Homer, c. 1895
U.S.S. Galena by Antonio Jacobsen, 1909
The Mosquito Net by John Singer Sargent, 1912
Three Children by George Bellows, 1919

Cézanne works^[a]

Paysage avec clocher (Landscape with Bell Tower) by Paul Cézanne, c. 1875
Maisons flottantes sur un fleuve (Houses Floating on a River) by Paul Cézanne, between 1875 and 1877
Still Life With Quince, Apples, and Pears by Paul Cézanne, between 1885 and 1887
Hameau à Payennet près de Gardanne (Hamlet at Payennet, near Gardanne) by Paul Cézanne, between 1886 and 1890
Maison au bord de la Marne (House on the Marne) by Paul Cézanne, between 1888 and 1894
Sous-bois (Underwood) by Paul Cézanne, between 1890 and 1892
Still Life With Skull by Paul Cézanne, c. 1900
Maisons sur la colline, Provence (Houses on the Hill) by Paul Cézanne, between 1904 and 1906

Monet Works

Matinée sur la Seine, le beau temps (Morning on the Seine, good weather) by Claude Monet, 1897 (donation Mrs J.F. Kennedy in 1963)^[12]

References

Notes

^ Upon the death of American art historian and art collector Charles Loeser in 1928, his will directed that the President of the United States would be able to choose eight of his Paul Cézanne "to adorn the White House".^[10]^[11]

Sources

^ "Art in the White House". clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "Art for the President's House: An Historical Perspective (Early - Middle 1800's)". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "Diversity in White House Art". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "Reagan to Obama: Naval Art in the White House". U.S. Naval Institute. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ Taubman, Howard (20 July 1967). "Art in the White House; Quality Portraits of the First Ladies And Americana Are Sought for Mansion (Published 1967)". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ ^a ^b Wecker, Menachem (5 February 2018). "Beyond the Golden Toilet: How Does Art End Up in the White House, and What Does It Tell Us About Our Leaders?". Artnet News. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ Kloss, William; Bolger, Doreen; Curry, David Park; Monkman, Betty; Wilmerding, John (1992). Art in the White House: A Nation's Pride. White House Historical Association. ISBN 978-0-8109-3965-3. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ Bednarz, Christine (31 October 2012). "When President Becomes Curator: Art in the White House". MutualArt. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "Art in the White House". White House Historical Association. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "LOESER WILL CALLS HARVARD UNSIGHTLY; Art Critic, Writing in 1924, Regretted New Buildings in "Yard" He Loved. MAKES IT RESIDUARY HEIR Bequest of $500,000, Contingent on Trust Fund to Wife and Daughter, Is Not for Construction. Harvard Is Residuary Legatee. Sister Gets Williams Estate". The New York Times. 7 April 1928. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ Times, Special to The New York (4 May 1961). "WHITE HOUSE HANGS 2 CEZANNE PAINTINGS". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ "Morning on the Seine, Good Weather". library.whitehousehistory.org. Retrieved 2024-01-22.

External links

The White House Collection

[12] Upon the death of American art historian and art collector Charles Loeser in 1928, his will directed that the President of the United States would be able to choose eight of his Paul Cézanne "to adorn the White House".^[10]^[11]

[cli-1] "Art in the White House". clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[gwb-2] "Art for the President's House: An Historical Perspective (Early - Middle 1800's)". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[div-3] "Diversity in White House Art". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[usni-4] "Reagan to Obama: Naval Art in the White House". U.S. Naval Institute. 1 February 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[arti-5] Taubman, Howard (20 July 1967). "Art in the White House; Quality Portraits of the First Ladies And Americana Are Sought for Mansion (Published 1967)". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[bey-6] Wecker, Menachem (5 February 2018). "Beyond the Golden Toilet: How Does Art End Up in the White House, and What Does It Tell Us About Our Leaders?". Artnet News. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[artin-7] Kloss, William; Bolger, Doreen; Curry, David Park; Monkman, Betty; Wilmerding, John (1992). Art in the White House: A Nation's Pride. White House Historical Association. ISBN 978-0-8109-3965-3. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[cur-8] Bednarz, Christine (31 October 2012). "When President Becomes Curator: Art in the White House". MutualArt. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[whha-9] "Art in the White House". White House Historical Association. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[10] "LOESER WILL CALLS HARVARD UNSIGHTLY; Art Critic, Writing in 1924, Regretted New Buildings in "Yard" He Loved. MAKES IT RESIDUARY HEIR Bequest of $500,000, Contingent on Trust Fund to Wife and Daughter, Is Not for Construction. Harvard Is Residuary Legatee. Sister Gets Williams Estate". The New York Times. 7 April 1928. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

[1961Cezanne-11] Times, Special to The New York (4 May 1961). "WHITE HOUSE HANGS 2 CEZANNE PAINTINGS". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

[13] "Morning on the Seine, Good Weather". library.whitehousehistory.org. Retrieved 2024-01-22.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[a]

[12]

[10]

[11]