The Avenue in the Rain Frederick Childe Hassam 1917

The

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

's art collection, sometimes also called the White House Collection or Pride of the American Nation, has grown over time from donations from descendants of the

Founding Fathers The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

to commissions by established artists. It comprises paintings, sculptures, and other art forms. At times, the collection grows from a president's specific request, such as when

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

began collecting the work of naval artist Tom Freeman in 1986, a tradition that continued through the Obama years.

History

The White House's Art collection was established by an

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

in 1961 and grew extensively during the

Kennedy Administration John F. Kennedy's tenure as the 35th president of the United States, began with his inauguration on January 20, 1961, and ended with his assassination on November 22, 1963. A Democrat from Massachusetts, he took office following the 1960 p ...

. It now includes more than 65,000 objects if individual items are catalogued. As of 2021, there are more than 500 pieces on view under the care of the

White House Curator The White House Office of the Curator is charged with the conservation and study of the collection of fine art, furniture and decorative objects used to furnish both the public and private rooms of the White House as an official residence and a ...

and the

White House Historical Association The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a private, non-profit organization that works to preserve the history of the White House and make that history more accessible to the pub ...

, and these are often complemented by those on loan from museums.

Gallery

;Portraits File:Gilbert Stuart - George Washington (Lansdowne Portrait) - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Portrait of George Washington'' by

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Charles Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washi ...

, 1796 File:John Trumbull - John Adams - Google Art Project (498015).jpg, ''Portrait of John Adams'' by

John Trumbull John Trumbull (June 6, 1756November 10, 1843) was an American artist of the early independence period, notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called the "Painter of the Rev ...

, −1793 File:Rembrandt Peale - Thomas Jefferson - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of Thomas Jefferson'' by

Rembrandt Peale Rembrandt Peale (February 22, 1778 – October 3, 1860) was an American artist and museum keeper. A prolific portrait painter, he was especially acclaimed for his likenesses of presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Peale's style w ...

, 1800 File:Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl - Andrew Jackson - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of Andrew Jackson'' by

Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl (born 1785–1788; died Nashville, Tennessee September 16, 1838), also known as Ralph E. W. Earl or Ralph Eleazer Whiteside Earl, was an American painter known as the "court painter" to President Andrew Jackson. He also ...

, File:James Reid Lambdin - William Henry Harrison - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of William Henry Harrison'' by

James Reid Lambdin James Reid Lambdin (May 10, 1807 – 1889) was an American born artist, famous for many of his portraits of U.S. Presidents. Barratt C. R., & Zabar, L., ''American Portrait Miniatures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art'' (New Haven: Yale Universi ...

, 1835 File:George P.A. Healy - Millard Fillmore - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of Millard Fillmore'' by

George Peter Alexander Healy George Peter Alexander Healy (July 15, 1813 – June 24, 1894) was an American portrait painter. He was one of the most prolific and popular painters of his day, and his sitters included many of the eminent personages of his time. Born in Boston ...

, 1857 File:George P.A. Healy - John Quincy Adams - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of John Quincy Adams'' by

, 1858 File:George P.A. Healy - Franklin Pierce - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of Franklin Pierce'' by

, 1858 File:Mvanburen.jpeg, ''Portrait of Martin Van Buren'' by

, 1858 File:George P.A. Healy - James Knox Polk - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of James Knox Polk'' by

, 1858 File:WHOportTyler.jpg, ''Portrait of John Tyler'' by

, 1864 File:Abraham Lincoln by George Peter Alexander Healy.jpg, '' Portrait of Abraham Lincoln'' by

, 1869 File:John Singer Sargent - Theodore Roosevelt - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

'' by

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

, 1902 File:Anders L. Zorn - William Howard Taft - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of William Howard Taft'' by

Anders Zorn Anders Leonard Zorn (18 February 1860 – 22 August 1920) was a Swedish painter. He attained international success as a painter, sculptor, and etching artist. Among Zorn's portrait subjects include King Oscar II of Sweden and three American ...

, 1911 File:Froosevelt.jpeg, ''Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt'' by Frank O. Salisbury, 1947 File:John F Kennedy Official Portrait.jpg, ''Portrait of John F. Kennedy'' by

Aaron Shikler Aaron Abraham Shikler (March 18, 1922 – November 12, 2015) was an American artist noted for portraits of American statesmen, such as the official portrait of John F. Kennedy, and celebrities such as Jane Engelhard and Sister Parish. Early li ...

, 1970 ;Non-portraits File:To the Genius of Franklin by Fragonard c1778.jpg, ''To the Genius of Franklin'' by

Jean-Honoré Fragonard Jean-Honoré Fragonard (; 5 April 1732 (birth/baptism certificate) – 22 August 1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. One of the most prolific ar ...

, File:Landing of the Pilgrims by Cornè - circa 1805.jpg, ''Landing of the Pilgrims'' by

Michele Felice Cornè Michele Felice Cornè (1752–1845) was an artist born in Elba who settled in the United States. He lived in Salem and Boston, Massachusetts; and in Newport, Rhode Island. He painted marine scenes, portraits, and interior decorations such as fir ...

, between and File:The President's House by George Munger, 1814-1815.jpg, ''The President's House'' by George Munger, between and File:Mouth of the Delaware by Thomas Birch, 1828.jpg, ''Mouth of the Delaware'' by

Thomas Birch Thomas Birch (23 November 17059 January 1766) was an English historian. Life He was the son of Joseph Birch, a coffee-mill maker, and was born at Clerkenwell. He preferred study to business but, as his parents were Quakers, he did not go to t ...

, 1828 File:City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard by George Cooke, 1833.jpg, ''City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard'' by George Cooke, 1833 File:Dismissal of School on an October Afternoon SC175338.jpg, ''

Dismissal of School on an October Afternoon ''Dismissal of School on an October Afternoon'' was painted by Henry Inman. An elected founding member of the National Academy of Design, Inman was well known in the New York City art scene. Although predominately known for his portrait painting ...

'' by Henry Inman, 1845 File:George Caleb Bingham Lighter Relieving the Steamboat Aground.jpg, ''Lighter Relieving the Steamboat Aground'' by

George Caleb Bingham George Caleb Bingham (March 20, 1811 – July 7, 1879) was an American artist, soldier and politician known in his lifetime as "the Missouri Artist". Initially a Whig Party (United States), Whig, he was elected as a delegate to the Missouri legisl ...

, 1847 File:Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851.jpg, '' Washington Crossing the Delaware'' by

Emanuel Leutze Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816July 18, 1868) was a German-American history painter best known for his 1851 painting '' Washington Crossing the Delaware''. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biography Leutze was born ...

, 1851 File:John Frederick Kensett - Niagara Falls - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Niagara Falls'' by

John Frederick Kensett John Frederick Kensett (March 22, 1816 – December 14, 1872) was an American landscape painter and engraver born in Cheshire, Connecticut. He was a member of the second generation of the Hudson River School of artists. Kensett's signature works ...

, −1854 File:George Henry Durrie - Going to Church.JPG, ''Going to Church'' by

George Henry Durrie George Henry Durrie (June 6, 1820October 15, 1863) was an American landscape artist noted especially for his rural winter snow scenes, which became very popular after they were reproduced as lithographic prints by Currier and Ives. __TOC__ Earl ...

, 1853 File:George Henry Durrie - Jones Inn, Winter.JPG, ''Jones Inn, Winter'' by

, 1853 File:Boston Harbor by Fitz Hugh Lane, 1854.jpg, ''Boston Harbor'' by

Fitz Hugh Lane Fitz Henry Lane (born Nathaniel Rogers Lane, also known as Fitz Hugh Lane) (December 19, 1804 – August 14, 1865) was an American painter and printmaker of a style that would later be called Luminism, for its use of pervasive light. Biography ...

, 1854 File:William Ranney - Boys Crabbing - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Boys Crabbing'' by

William Ranney William Tylee Ranney (May 9, 1813 – November 18, 1857) was a 19th-century American painter, known for his depictions of Western life, sporting scenery, historical subjects and portraiture. In his 20-year career, he made 150 paintings and 80 draw ...

, 1855 File:George Henry Durrie - Farmyard in Winter - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Farmyard in Winter'' by

, 1858 File:Ferdinand Richardt - Independence Hall in Philadelphia - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Independence Hall in Philadelphia'' by

Ferdinand Richardt Joachim Ferdinand Richardt (10 April 1819 – 29 October 1895) was a Danish-American artist. In Denmark he is mostly known for his lithographs of castles and manor houses. After emigrating to the United States he specialized in paintings of Niag ...

, between and File:Carlton-Waiting-For-the-Hour-1863-White-House.jpg, ''

Waiting for the Hour {{italic title ''Watch Meeting—Dec. 31st 1862—Waiting for the Hour'' is an 1863 painting by the US artist William Tolman Carlton. The location of the original painting is not known, but a different version, possibly a study, is displayed in ...

'' by William Tolman Carlton, 1863 File:The Peacemakers 1868.jpg, ''

The Peacemakers ''The Peacemakers'' is an 1868 painting by George P.A. Healy. It depicts the historic March 27, 1865, strategy session by the Union high command on the steamer ''River Queen'' during the final days of the American Civil War. Although he pain ...

'' by George P.A. Healy, 1868 File:Liberty by Constantino Brumidi, 1869.png, ''Liberty'' by

Constantino Brumidi Constantino Brumidi (July 26, 1805 – February 19, 1880) was a Greek-Italian-American historical painter, best known and honored for his fresco work, Apotheosis of Washington, in the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Parentage and early life ...

, 1869 File:Union by Constantino Brumidi, 1869.png, ''Union'' by

, 1869 File:Sailing off the Coast by Martin Johnson Heade, 1869.jpg, ''Sailing off the Coast'' by

Martin Johnson Heade Martin Johnson Heade (August 11, 1819 – September 4, 1904) was an American painter known for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes, and depictions of tropical birds (such as hummingbirds), as well as lotus blossoms and other still lifes. His pai ...

, 1869 File:The Rainbow in the Berkshire Hills by George Inness, 1869.jpg, ''The Rainbow in the Berkshire Hills'' by

George Inness George Inness (May 1, 1825 – August 3, 1894) was a prominent United States, American landscape painting, landscape painter. Now recognized as one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century, Inness was influenced b ...

, 1869 File:Cannonading on the Potomac by Alfred W Thompson, c1869.jpg, ''Cannonading on the Potomac'' by Alfred W. Thompson, File:Nocturne by James Abbott McNeil, 1870-1877.jpg, ''Nocturne''

James Abbott McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading pr ...

, −1877 File:Albert Bierstadt - Storm Clouds (c.1880).jpg, ''Storm Clouds'' by

Albert Bierstadt Albert Bierstadt (January 7, 1830 – February 18, 1902) was a German-American painter best known for his lavish, sweeping landscapes of the American West. He joined several journeys of the Westward Expansion to paint the scenes. He was no ...

, File:Winslow Homer - Surf at Prout's Neck (c.1895).jpg, ''Surf at Prout's Neck'' by

Winslow Homer Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in ...

, File:Antonio Jacobsen - U.S.S. Galena.jpg, ''U.S.S. Galena'' by

Antonio Jacobsen Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen (November 2, 1850 – February 2, 1921) was a Danish-born American maritime artist known as the "Audubon of Steam Vessels". Biography Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark where he attended the Royal Academy of ...

, 1909 File:John Singer Sargent - The Mosquito Net - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Mosquito Net'' by

, 1912 File:George Bellows - Three Children - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Three Children'' by

George Bellows George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realism, American realist painting, painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City. He became, according to the Columbus Museum of Art ...

, 1919 ;Cézanne works Cezanne - Landscape With Tower.jpg, ''Paysage avec clocher (Landscape with Bell Tower)'' by

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...

, Cezanne - Boathouse on a River.jpg, ''Maisons flottantes sur un fleuve (Houses Floating on a River)'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1875 and 1877 Cezanne - Still Life With Quince, Apples, and Pears.jpg, ''Still Life With Quince, Apples, and Pears'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1885 and 1887 File:Cezanne - Mont Sainte-Victoire and Hamlet Near Gardanne.jpg, ''Hameau à Payennet près de Gardanne (Hamlet at Payennet, near Gardanne)'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1886 and 1890 Cezanne - House on the Marne.jpg, ''Maison au bord de la Marne (House on the Marne)'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1888 and 1894 Cezanne - The Forest.jpg, ''Sous-bois (Underwood)'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1890 and 1892 Cezanne - Still Life With Skull.jpg, ''Still Life With Skull'' by Paul Cézanne, Cezanne - House on a Hill.jpg, ''Maisons sur la colline, Provence (Houses on the Hill)'' by Paul Cézanne, between 1904 and 1906

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

The White House Collection
{{White House

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links