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 Sister Parish (born Dorothy May Kinnicutt; July 15, 1910 – September 8, 1994) was an American interior decorator and socialite. She was the first practitioner brought in to decorate the Kennedy White House, a position soon entrusted to French i ...

Early life

Shikler was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

on March 18, 1922. His parents were Eastern European Jewish immigrants who came to the United States before World War I. After graduating from

The High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...

in 1940,Grimes, William
"Aaron Shikler, Portrait Artist Known for Images of America’s Elite, Dies at 93,"
''New York Times'' (NOV. 16, 2015). Shikler studied at the Tyler School of Art in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, and at the Hans Hofmann School in New York. Drafted in 1943, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II as a cartographer in Europe. He married Barbara Lurie, whom he met at Tyler, and had two children, Cathy Shikler van Ingen and Clifford Shikler with her. Barbara was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in 1998. Barbara “Pete” Shikler continued to be his muse even after her death.

Work

Jacqueline Kennedy personally selected Shikler in 1970 to provide the posthumous character study of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, ''Oil Portrait of John F. Kennedy'', which serves as Kennedy's official White House portrait. He also painted the official White House portraits of First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, as well as portraits of the Kennedy children and is represented in numerous public collections such as The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the New Britain Museum of American Art, and the National Academy of Design.

Awards and honors

Shikler was elected a centennial fellow of

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

in 1985, an academician of the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...

in 1965 and an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1962. Shikler received the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award in 1957 and the Thomas B. Clarke Prize in 1958, 1960, and 1961. In 1976, he received the State Department Traveling Grant, a Certificate of Honor at the Tyler School of Art and the Benjamin Altman Prize from the National Academy of Design.

Death

Shikler continued to paint in his studio at home until he died of kidney failure on November 12, 2015, surrounded by his family. He was survived by his two children, Cathy and Clifford, and 4 grandchildren: Isabella, Lane, Montgomery and Bejamin.

Gallery

Image:Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy.gif, Jackie Kennedy's official White House portrait by Shikler hangs in the

Vermeil Room The Vermeil Room ( ; ) is located on the ground floor of the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. The room houses a collection of silver-gilt or vermeil tableware, a 1956 bequest to the White House by Marg ...

. Image:John F Kennedy Official Portrait.jpg, Official Presidential portrait of John F. Kennedy painted by Shikler. Image:Nancy Reagan official White House portrait.jpg, Nancy Reagan's official White House portrait by Shikler hangs in the

. Image:Daschle Portrait.jpg, Official Senate portrait of Tom Daschle Image:Mike mansfield.jpg, Portrait of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

Senator

Mike Mansfield Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16, 1903 – October 5, 2001) was an American politician and diplomat. A Democrat, he served as a U.S. representative (1943–1953) and a U.S. senator (1953–1977) from Montana. He was the longest-serving Sen ...

Image:Portrait of Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson - NARA - 192427.tif,

Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (''née'' Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She previously served as Second Lady from 1961 to 1963 whe ...

Image:Pages-AaronShikler--element23.jpg, Mother and Daughter featuring Aaron's daughter Cathy and grandchild Isabella

References

External links

''Oil Portrait of John F. Kennedy''Renowned Painter Aaron Shikler Reveals Stories behind Famous White House Portraits
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shikler, Aaron 1922 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters American portrait painters Artists from Brooklyn Painters from New York City Temple University alumni National Academy of Design associates The High School of Music & Art alumni United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II 20th-century American male artists