Contents

Art in the White House

The White House's art collection, sometimes also called the White House CollectionorPride 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[edit]

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[edit]

Portraits[edit]

• 
  Portrait of George WashingtonbyGilbert Stuart, 1796
• 
  Portrait of John AdamsbyJohn Trumbull, c. 1792−1793
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  Portrait of Thomas JeffersonbyRembrandt Peale, 1800
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  Portrait of Andrew JacksonbyRalph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, c. 1835
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  Portrait of William Henry HarrisonbyJames Reid Lambdin, 1835
• 
  Portrait of Millard FillmorebyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1857
• 
  Portrait of John Quincy AdamsbyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
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  Portrait of Franklin PiercebyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
• 
  Portrait of Martin Van BurenbyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
• 
  Portrait of James Knox PolkbyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1858
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  Portrait of John TylerbyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1864
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  Portrait of Abraham LincolnbyGeorge Peter Alexander Healy, 1869
• 
  Portrait of Theodore RooseveltbyJohn Singer Sargent, 1902
• 
  Portrait of William Howard TaftbyAnders Zorn, 1911
• 
  Portrait of Franklin D. RooseveltbyFrank O. Salisbury, 1947
• 
  Portrait of John F. KennedybyAaron Shikler, 1970

Non-portraits[edit]

• 
  To the Genius of FranklinbyJean-Honoré Fragonard, c. 1778
• 
  Landing of the PilgrimsbyMichele Felice Cornè, between c. 1805 and c. 1807
• 
  The President's HousebyGeorge Munger, between c. 1814 and c. 1815
• 
  Mouth of the DelawarebyThomas Birch, 1828
• 
  City of Washington from Beyond the Navy YardbyGeorge Cooke, 1833
• 
  Dismissal of School on an October AfternoonbyHenry Inman, 1845
• 
  Lighter Relieving the Steamboat AgroundbyGeorge Caleb Bingham, 1847
• 
  Washington Crossing the DelawarebyEmanuel Leutze, 1851
• 
  Niagara FallsbyJohn Frederick Kensett, c. 1852−1854
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  Going to ChurchbyGeorge Henry Durrie, 1853
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  Jones Inn, WinterbyGeorge Henry Durrie, 1853
• 
  Boston HarborbyFitz Hugh Lane, 1854
• 
  Boys CrabbingbyWilliam Ranney, 1855
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  Farmyard in WinterbyGeorge Henry Durrie, 1858
• 
  Independence Hall in PhiladelphiabyFerdinand Richardt, between c. 1858 and c. 1863
• 
  Waiting for the HourbyWilliam Tolman Carlton, 1863
• 
  The PeacemakersbyGeorge P.A. Healy, 1868
• 
  LibertybyConstantino Brumidi, 1869
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  UnionbyConstantino Brumidi, 1869
• 
  Sailing off the CoastbyMartin Johnson Heade, 1869
• 
  The Rainbow in the Berkshire HillsbyGeorge Inness, 1869
• 
  Cannonading on the PotomacbyAlfred W. Thompson, c. 1869
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  Nocturne James Abbott McNeill Whistler, c. 1870−1877
• 
  Storm CloudsbyAlbert Bierstadt, c. 1880
• 
  Surf at Prout's NeckbyWinslow Homer, c. 1895
• 
  U.S.S. GalenabyAntonio Jacobsen, 1909
• 
  The Mosquito NetbyJohn Singer Sargent, 1912
• 
  Three ChildrenbyGeorge Bellows, 1919

Cézanne works^[a][edit]

• 
  Paysage avec clocher (Landscape with Bell Tower)byPaul Cézanne, c. 1875
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  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[edit]

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

See also[edit]

• Committee for the Preservation of the White House
• United States Capitol art
• White House Acquisition Trust

References[edit]

Notes

Sources

External links[edit]

• The White House Collection