I’ve always been fascinated by the official presidential portraits, and love to just stare and look at them, and think about the men who have led our country since it began. Some of the portraits are fantastic, and some are pretty standard. Setting aside any political fondness or recognition of their feats, which presidential portrait is your favorite?
Here is a link to all of them. Note that in recent times, presidents use a photograph until they are out of office for their official portrait, so Obama only has a photograph for now.
My personal favorite is certainly Kennedy. It’s a haunting, mesmerizing portrait. It was done after he was assassinated though, so I have to say that otherwise, the Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln portraits captured those presidents perfectly.
The George W. Bush portrait is also incredibly well done. The likeness is perfect.
So what do you think? Which one is your favorite and why?
Haha, yeah, did you read the story on the wikipedia page about how that one came to be? It was kind of an accident that he ended up posing like that after a bit of an argument.
Kennedy stirs so much emotion. It’s understated and contemplative. It’s brilliant, really.
I also like the Lincoln portrait for its richness in color and because it is reminiscent of The Thinker. Actually, the Lincoln and Kennedy portraits while so different in style evoke the same message, which is probably why I like them. That’s the sort of message I think a head of state should send: “This is a tough job and I’m putting a lot of effort into it.”
Juxtapose those with the portrait of GWB and you can probably guess how I feel about it. “Golly shucks, I’m just a regular guy!” You’d have to be Truman to portray the cool confidence you *think *you’re pulling off, but missing by a long shot.
Interesting pictures. Maybe Rutherford Hayes. It’s a classic chiaroscuro, clouds in the background, sort of thing.
The Kennedy portrait is a non-starter for me. IMO, a presidential portrait should show the guy’s face. The T. Roosevelt picture has good technique -it’s John Singer Sargent- but the hand on the post looks forced. It’s hard to see much detail in many of the pictures; the files are just too small.
My favorite, by a landslide, is Polk. Definitely the most interesting facial expression out of any of them. Totally mysterious half-smile. Is he planning something sneaky? There’s a hint of nervousness in his eyes. It’s almost as if he’s been caught in the act of doing something bad. It looks like any second, he’s going to dash off behind that red curtain. I love it.
Distant runner-up is John Adams, because he looks so cute. Like a koala!
I like Teddy Roosevelt myself. He looks like he’s equally likely to invite you to sit down to a state dinner, or to personally declare war and ride roughshod over your entire country. Your choice…
I like TR’s because it’s so evocative of classical portraits - strap a sword to his left hip and replace that banister post with a globe, and you’ve got the Baroque prince of your choice.
I like TR’s, of course, and Kennedy’s posthumous portrait is almost perfect. Reagan looks like someone photoshopped him into a Maxfield Parish piece.
Lincoln … looks like he’s sitting in a theater balcony box, with the red velvet curtain behind him and the baroque gold chair. We’re just seconds away from a pistol poking around the curtain. I’m really pretty amazed.
In case you had not seen this, a story about the artist. He took the angle of the head from a photo of JFK running up stairs. The body was modeled on a photo of Teddy.
I actually like W’s casual one. I picture JFK, had he lived, would have picked a similar pose for himself. In fact, this exact pose is probably the one he would have chosen: JFK, as I picture him in my mind
TR, definitely. What a man! Wish I could meet him.
Some of the later-19th, earlier-20th century presidents make me think that every man (of that sort of social class) looked like that president. Big whiskers and beards. Hayes, Cleveland, Taft, Coolidge. That sort of C. Aubrey Smith look. Every small-town banker or prosperous businessman looks like that.
Some of the more recent portraits are not well-done. Reagan, Clinton, Bush… they look sort of… smudged. And the eyes are wrong. Almost, but not quite.
I think Kennedy could have been done better. It looks unfinished (well, so was he).
Amen! As I remember, I expressed my dismay when the portrait was revealed. It is a well made portrait, but hardly presidential.
I can’t choose a favorite. My preference is for ones that include objects. I have not been shy about sharing on the boards my opinion that Franklin Pierce is the dreamiest U.S. President to date, and I like the “I have a secret, and also a giant book” vibe of his portrait.
I actually like George H.W. Bush’s, particularly the inclusion of the painting behind him. (The Peacemakers).
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