James Anthony Wills (June 13, 1912 – November 10, 1993) was an American painter. He worked only in oils and never had any formal art training.

Early years

Wills was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and could draw before he could write. At age 8, Wills started with tempera, watercolor and pastels, and later chose oils. His choice of oils was based on the masters' use of oils and its stability over time. He never used canvas. Masonite (

hardboard Hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard (HDF), is a type of fiberboard, which is an engineered wood product. It is used in furniture and in the construction industry. Description Hardboard is similar to particle board and medium-densit ...

) was used instead as it does not deteriorate like canvas. Wills sold his first portrait of a neighborhood friend to the boy's mother when he was 14.

Painter of Presidents and other political figures

He has painted cabinet members including

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the US Army under Pre ...

, Secretary of Defense, C. E. Wilson, Secretary of Defense, and

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

, Secretary of State. However, his greater works are his long list of Presidential Portraits. He has painted Harry Truman,

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

, and

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

. Along the stairway to the

East Room The East Room is an event and reception room in the Executive Residence, which is a building of the White House complex, the home of the president of the United States. The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Residence; it is used for ...

hang the portraits of 20th-century Presidents. Displayed here are Wills' Harry Truman and Richard Nixon.

Other notable portraits

Wills' works were often commissioned by large firms. He had a way of capturing the likeness and 'realness' of a person especially as seen in the hands. "Everyone has a best angle, though, and my job is to analyze what these angles are. if posed properly, a person can be made a handsome figure. A person is entitled to this." - Wills. Additional portraits include golfer

Ben Hogan William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory and ...

, Indianapolis 500 Speedway owner Anton Hulman Jr., Detroit Tigers Baseball Club owner Walter Briggs, Jr.,

Philip Wrigley Philip Knight Wrigley (December 5, 1894 – April 12, 1977), often called P. K. Wrigley, was an American chewing gum manufacturer and a Major League Baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant fa ...

of Wrigley Gum Company, Clark Hungerford, railroad executive and Bessie Mae Pederson (wife of Roy Pederson) of Houston, Texas Wills charged about $7,500 for a portrait painted from life. He often had a large role in what his clients wore for their portrait.

Sources

*''Texas Magazine'', November 12, 1967

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wills, James Anthony Richard Nixon Dwight D. Eisenhower 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters 1912 births 1993 deaths