Portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt

Object Details

• Artist

  Gari Melchers (1860-1932)

• Label

  In 1904, Charles Lang Freer offered the United States his collections of Asian and American art and funds for a museum to house them. Because of restrictions he placed on the gift, the Smithsonian Institution hesitated to accept it until President Theodore Roosevelt intervened. As a sign of his appreciation, Freer commissioned Gari Melchers, a native of Detroit, to paint this portrait of the president. Melchers was afraid his subject would not find time to pose as long as needed for the masterpiece that Freer had in mind, and confided to his wife, "This painting the President is rather anxious business." But when the work was finished, it was instantly declared a great success. Roosevelt himself considered the portrait the best that had ever been done, and Freer predicted that it would always be regarded as the one that truly captured the "dignity, force and character" of the man. "Art is a language," he wrote to Melchers, "and your portrait will talk to the people through coming centuries."

• Provenance

  From 1908 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Gari Melchers on March 19, 1908 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See List, American Paintings Other than by Whistler, A, pg. 2, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Freer’s Global Network: Artists, Collectors, and Dealers (October 15, 2022 - ongoing)

  American Paintings (September 10, 1981 to March 12, 1984)

  American Paintings (May 31, 1979 to June 17, 1980)

  American Paintings (September 8, 1961 to May 2, 1973)

  American Paintings (June 9, 1960 to September 8, 1961)

  Untitled Exhibition, American Oil Paintings, 1958 (June 29, 1958 to October 27, 1959)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 8 and 9 (February 25, 1956 to April 28, 1958)

  Untitled Exhibition, American Oil Paintings and Watercolors (May 10, 1945 to September 25, 1947)

  Paintings by Gari Melchers, 1919 (April 4 to May 1, 1919)

  Paintings by Gari Melchers, 1918 (1918)

  First Annual Exhibition of Selected Paintings by American Artists (April 9 to May 31, 1915)

  Untitled Exhibition, The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy (1913)

  Untitled Exhibition, Detroit Museum of Arts (1913)

  Inaugural Exhibition, The Toledo Museum of Art (January 17 to February 12, 1912)

  The Sixth Annual Exhibition of Selected Paintings by American Artists (May 12 to August 28, 1911)

  Ausstellung Amerikanischer Kunst (March 17 to April 17, 1910)

  Exhibition of Oriental and American Art Under the Joint Auspices of the Alumni Memorial Committee and the Ann Arbor Art Association (May 11 to May 30, 1910)

  Untitled Exhibition, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1909)

  Thirteenth Annual Exhibition, The Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (1909)

  Fourth Annual Exhibition of Selected Paintings by American Artists (May 10, 1909 to August 30, 1909)

  Oil Paintings by Contemporary American Artists: Second Exhibition (December 8, 1908 to January 17, 1909)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Gari Melchers (1860-1932) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• On View

  Freer Gallery 09: Freer’s Global Network

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Melchers, Gari

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Portraits, Presidents

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Paintings

• On View

  Yes