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Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor
Artist
John Vanderlyn, 15 Oct 1775 - 23 Sep 1852
Sitter
Zachary Taylor, 24 Nov 1784 - 9 Jul 1850
Date
c. 1850-52
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 76.2 × 64.1 × 2.2 cm (30 × 25 1/4 × 7/8")
Frame: 102.9 × 90.2 × 7.3 cm (40 1/2 × 35 1/2 × 2 7/8")
Sight: 75.7 × 62.4 cm (29 13/16 × 24 9/16")
Topic
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie
Zachary Taylor: Male
Zachary Taylor: Politics and Government\President of US
Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\War of 1812
Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Mexican War
Zachary Taylor: Congressional Gold Medal
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund) The Corcoran Gallery of Art, one of the country’s first private museums, was established in 1869 to promote art and American genius. In 2014 the Works from the Corcoran Collection were distributed to institutions in Washington, D.C.
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2019.26
Exhibition Label
Born Orange County, Virginia
In 1848, Zachary Taylor was elected twelfth president of the United States. It was a time of mounting tension between the North and South due to the expansion of slavery into the new western territories. Although Taylor was a slaveholder himself, he opposed the spread of slavery. At the time of his death, just sixteen months into his presidency, he continued to enslave men, women, and children at his plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as at the White House. It is believed he was the last president to do so.
John Vanderlyn, a leading American artist who trained in France and had created portraits of President James Monroe, completed a full-length, seated portrait of the president for the Governor’s Room in New York’s City Hall. This smaller replica, focusing on Taylor’s head and shoulders, was acquired by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1877.
Nacido en Orange County, Virginia
En 1848, Zachary Taylor fue elegido duodécimo presidente de Estados Unidos. Era una época de tensión creciente entre el norte y el sur debido a la expansión de la esclavitud hacia los nuevos territorios del oeste. Aunque Taylor era dueño de esclavos, se oponía a dicha expansión. Al fallecer, con solo 16 meses en la presidencia, aún tenía a hombres, mujeres y niños esclavizados en sus plantaciones en Misisipi y Luisiana, así como en la Casa Blanca. Se cree que fue el último presidente involucrado en esta práctica.
John Vanderlyn, destacado artista estadounidense educado en Francia y creador de retratos del presidente James Monroe, hizo una pintura del presidente Taylor sentado, de cuerpo entero, para Salón del Gobernador en el ayuntamiento de Nueva York. Esta réplica más pequeña en formato de busto fue adquirida por la Galería de Arte Corcoran en 1877.
Provenance
Purchased by Clark Mills [1810-1883], c. 1852; Purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1877; Gift to NPG, 2019.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view