Portrait painting

Photograph shows Richard Nixon and Eleanor Butler Roosevelt looking at a painting of Theodore Roosevelt in a Rough Rider uniform.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1957

Photograph shows Mrs. Ferdinand Hansen, Oscar S. Straus and Hermann Hagedorn at the Theodore Roosevelt House in front of painting of Theodore Roosevelt painted by József Koppay.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1957

Black and white copy of the official White House portrait of President Roosevelt painted by John Singer Sargent in 1903.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1903

Theodore Roosevelt is sorry to answer Chester Rowell in such a manner, but he absolutely does not want to have his portrait painted again. He does not like sitting for portraits.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-06-04

Bust portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, facing front. Surrounding the portrait are eight images, depicting people, places, and various events related to Theodore Roosevelt’s life: the Roosevelt home at Oyster Bay, Long Island; Roosevelt as a Rough Rider; Charge of Rough Riders at San Juan, June 1, 1898; Roosevelt’s farewell to the Rough Riders at Camp Wikoff, Long Island; the Capitol; the Wilcox home where Roosevelt was sworn in; The White House; and Teddy Jr. on horseback.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-1910

Theodore Roosevelt, wearing his Rough Rider uniform, and with a “Nobel Prize” extending from one pocket and “The Big Stick” leaning against the wall, changes the title of a large painting of George Washington standing next to his horse so that it reads: “First [crossed out and replaced with] Second in War, First [crossed out and replaced with] Second in Peace, First [crossed out] in the hearts of his countrymen.” A book “Alone in Cuba” lies on the floor next to his feet.

Comments and Context

At the dawn of President Roosevelt’s final months of the presidency — that is, after the midterm elections in his second term — Puck inexplicably felt its oats and started attacking the president, its erstwhile friend and ally in reform battles since 1901.

This cartoon by Hassmann was not inspired by the Nobel Prize for Peace, which was announced two months prior to this cartoon, in December of 1906. Rather, the petty depiction of the diminutive Rough Rider defacing and upstaging The Father of His Country was occasioned by the fact that Washington’s Birthday was celebrated the week this cartoon appeared. An easy target for a cartoonist.

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

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-10-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

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

Theodore Roosevelt asks James Grant Wilson to extend his regards to Princess Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy and inform her that his wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is unavailable for a visit as she is unwell and in the country. Roosevelt is uninterested in and does not have the time to have another portrait done by the Princess. He is a private individual and feels his current portraits are sufficient.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-01-12

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