National Portrait Gallery

Stephen Colbert, born 1964
Born Washington, D.C.

Stephen Colbert, the mock pundit for the Comedy Central show The Colbert Report recently contacted the National Portrait Gallery hoping to donate this portrait of himself from his show. While this triple portrait is not one that would typically be accessioned into the Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, NPG agreed to go along with the joke and hang the portrait for a limited time.

In episodes of The Colbert Report that aired on January 10, 14, and 15, 2008, Colbert tries to convince the Smithsonian that he should be considered a national treasure. He attempts to donate his portrait to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, but the museum’s director suggests that perhaps Colbert should speak to the National Portrait Gallery. Finally, after much "discussion," the director of the National Portrait Gallery finds an appropriate place to hang Colbert’s portrait, in between the bathrooms and above the water fountain.

View the episodes on the Comedy Central Web site.
See photos of Stephen Colbert’s portrait, and share your own, on the National Portrait Gallery’s Flickr group.

This portrait will only be here through April 1, so refresh yourself at the drinking fountain while contemplating this portrait of Colbert while you can.

Digital image on canvas, 2005
On loan from The Colbert Report

Photo by Amy Baskette for the National Portrait Gallery