The presidential portrait of George Washington is perhaps the most famous one in the history of the United States. There was a lot of concern that the porch would be lost, but it was rescued by first lady Dolley Madison, who was the wife of President James Madison. James Madison served as the fourth President of the United States, and he led the country during the War of 1812. At that time, the British burned down the White House when they invaded Washington DC. There was some concern that the fire would also consume the presidential portrait of George Washington, but it was rescued by Dolly Madison before it can happen.
Theodore Roosevelt is widely recognized as one of the most popular presidents in the history of the United States. He served as a Rough Rider in the Spanish-American war, and he was an ardent conservationist. He served as president from 1901 to 1909. His original presidential portrait was commissioned In 1902, but when he saw the final product, he hid it in the darkest corner of the White House. He did not like it because he thought it made him look weak. Therefore, he hired another artist to paint a more masculine portrait. The artist followed him around from room to room in the White House, making sketches as he was looking for the right lighting and pose. Eventually, Roosevelt got frustrated, and in his anger, struck the perfect pose. That led to the presidential portrait that people know and love today.
John F Kennedy, even though he only served as president for two years, is still beloved as one of the most popular presidents today. His official portrait was painted posthumously. His presidential portrait is often studied as a character study as well. The portrait shows John F Kennedy as a pensive, thoughtful president. The only goal of the image was to make the portrait look different than everyone else saw him. That is why he is looking down at the ground with his arms folded. It is still one of the most popular portraits today.
Many people are familiar with the presidential portrait of Bill Clinton. Many people do not realize that it is celebrated because it is the very first portrait to be painted by someone of African-American descent. There is some discussion that the shadow in the presidential portrait is a reference to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but it could be that people are simply altering their interpretation of the portrait to fit history. Even though there was some desire to remove it from the National Portrait Gallery, it has remained in their collection. It is not always on display, but there are other portraits that are rotated from time to time as well.