Portrait painting

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-10-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Baldwin, Elbert F. (Elbert Francis), 1857-

A fragment of a magazine article, containing a black and white image of the John Singer Sargent painting of Theodore Roosevelt.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1904

Maurice Francis Egan introduces the painter Johann Waldemar de Rehling Quistgaard to Theodore Roosevelt and hopes he will view Quistgaard’s paintings. Quistgaard has painted Princess Marie and Roosevelt’s friend, Prince Hans.

Comments and Context

Maurice Francis Egan is most likely referring to Princess Marie of Orléans, a French princess by birth and a Danish princess through marriage.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Ida M. Tarbell expresses her appreciation of Charles M. Shean’s portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-22

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary informs Albert Rosenthal that it is impossible for Roosevelt to sit for his portrait now or to arrange for any sittings during the summer. Roosevelt simply does not have the time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-01

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary is sorry to inform Albert Rosenthal that Roosevelt is too busy with work to agree to sit for the painting of his portrait at the present time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-24

Theodore Roosevelt would be delighted to have the painting Mark Sullivan requested photographed for reproduction in Charles Henry Davis’s pamphlet. Roosevelt is happy to write whatever letter is necessary for its use. Roosevelt agrees that the best portrait of himself is the one made for Arthur Hamilton Lee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-01

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Johann Waldemar de Rehling Quistgaard for this courtesy and apologizes for not being able to see his portrait due to his physical limitations and his limited trips to New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-12-04

President Roosevelt is glad that Bishop O’Connell called about Cecile de Wentworth, and speaks out against her “being given the chance to paint frightful daubs of prominent men because unwise friends of hers and of those prominent men ask that she be given sittings.” Roosevelt gave Wentworth a sitting on the recommendation of Father Alexander Patrick Doyle, but she produced a poor portrait and then demanded it be given a place in a museum it did not deserve. Roosevelt believes that good painters are good painters regardless of their religion, and that bishops of other Christian sects would not be justified in asking for special privileges for artists of their denomination. Roosevelt will try to protect president-elect William H. Taft from being painted by poor artists.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-07

President Roosevelt tells Charles Lang Freer that if Gari Melchers is going to paint his portrait, he should start as soon as possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-21

Responding to a letter from Arthur Hamilton Lee, President Roosevelt notes that A. Maurice Low was blacklisted from access to the White House or other governmental agencies after he printed slanderous material. Roosevelt is surprised that Fabian Ware keeps Low on the staff of London’s Morning Post. Roosevelt agrees to have Fülöp László paint his portrait. Roosevelt also informs Lee about international relations between the United States and Canada, particularly with reference to immigration from Japan. He recounts discussions he has had with William Lyon Mackenzie King on this subject, and what the position of the United States is on the matter–namely, that working class Japanese immigrants should be kept out of English-speaking countries, and that working class immigrants from English-speaking countries should be kept out of Japan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-02

Although “churlish” to decline a portrait by artist Cecile De Wentworth, President Roosevelt gets too many requests to have his portrait painted. However, he asks De Wentworth for a different painting and will discuss it with Father Alexander Patrick Doyle.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-09

President Roosevelt hopes to see the portrait at the Cosmos Club. Regarding the horse, Roosevelt believes that it was purchased and he received the money.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-04

President Roosevelt does not believe that he can take the time to sit for the production of his bust. He vowed after the John Singer Sargent painting that he would not sit for another painting or bust.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-08-07

President Roosevelt declines Joseph Ralph Burton’s request that he sit for another portrait, explaining that two good pictures have already been painted and any future paintings of Roosevelt should be replicas of these.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-08

President Roosevelt cannot send the picture to an exhibition because it is government property.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-03-10

President Roosevelt thanks Emily Tuckerman for the clipping and was pleased to see her.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-02-20

President Roosevelt offers John Singer Sargent a room at the White House while he paints the portrait.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-29

President Roosevelt agrees that the picture can be made but would like a few days to think over how it should be done.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-02

President Roosevelt requests a few days to think over William Hooper’s portrait proposition.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-29