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Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt
Artist
Sigismund De Ivanowski, 1874 - 1944
Sitter
Theodore Roosevelt, 27 Oct 1858 - 6 Jan 1919
Date
c. 1908-10
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
152.5cm x 101.5cm (60 1/16" x 39 15/16"), Accurate
Frame: 181.6 x 130.2 x 9.5cm (71 1/2 x 51 1/4 x 3 3/4")
Topic
Exterior
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses\Pince-nez
Costume\Headgear\Hat\Top hat
Theodore Roosevelt: Male
Theodore Roosevelt: Politics and Government\State Legislator\New York
Theodore Roosevelt: Literature\Writer
Theodore Roosevelt: Politics and Government\Vice-President of US
Theodore Roosevelt: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt: Natural Resource Occupations\Explorer
Theodore Roosevelt: Politics and Government\Governor\New York
Theodore Roosevelt: Politics and Government\President of US
Theodore Roosevelt: Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Historian
Theodore Roosevelt: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Environmentalist
Theodore Roosevelt: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Rancher
Theodore Roosevelt: Nobel Prize
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Dixon Stroud
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.72.22
Exhibition Label
When Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1901, he became the youngest U.S. president. Yet he was among the most uniquely experienced, having been an historian, civil service commissioner, assistant secretary of the navy, soldier, New York governor, and vice president.
Roosevelt belonged to the cross-party Progressive movement, whose many aims included regulating businesses and protecting workers and the environment. His administration battled monopolies, settled labor disputes, and conserved millions of acres of land. Although Roosevelt supported women’s rights, he believed a woman’s primary role was “the helpmeet, the housewife, and mother.” He opposed segregated schools for Asian students, but proposed restrictions on Asian immigration. And he failed to prevent discrimination against African Americans.
In foreign affairs, Roosevelt chose to “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” His belief that the United States should exercise “international police power” in the Western Hemisphere helped drive military interventions in the Caribbean and Latin America. He began constructing the Panama Canal, and, in 1907, sent the Great White Fleet on a global tour showcasing U.S. naval might.
Illustrator Sigismund de Ivanowski shows Roosevelt with monsters symbolizing unconstrained capitalism. Mirroring popular political cartoons, the snakes represent the Standard Oil monopoly, which Roosevelt successfully sued to dissolve.
Al asumir su cargo en 1901, Theodore Roosevelt pasó a ser el presidente más joven de EEE.UU. Pero ya tenía un caudal de experiencias único, habiendo sido historiador, comisionado de servicio público, secretario asistente de la Marina, soldado, gobernador de Nueva York y vicepresidente.
Roosevelt perteneció al Movimiento Progresista, que era multipartidista y propugnaba reglamentar los negocios y proteger a los trabajadores y al ambiente. Su gobierno combatió los monopolios, resolvió disputas laborales y conservó millones de acres de terreno. Aunque apoyaba los derechos femeninos, creía que el papel principal de la mujer era el de “ayudante, esposa y madre”. Se opuso a las escuelas segregadas para asiáticos, pero propuso restricciones a la inmigración asiática y no logró evitar la discriminación contra los afroamericanos.
En el ámbito exterior, Roosevelt optó por “hablar bajo y llevar un buen garrote”. Su credo de que EE.UU. debía ejercer un “poder policial internacional” en el hemisferio occidental impulsó intervenciones militares en el Caribe y América Latina. Inició la construcción del canal de Panamá y en 1907 envió a la Gran Flota Blanca en una gira mundial para resaltar el poderío naval de EE.UU.
El ilustrador Sigismund de Ivanowski muestra a Roosevelt con unos monstruos que simbolizan el capitalismo sin control. Al estilo de las caricaturas políticas, las serpientes representan el monopolio de la Standard Oil, que Roosevelt logró disolver por vía jurídica.
Provenance
Mr. and Mrs. W.B.Dixon Stroud, West Grove, Pennsylvania; gift 1972 to NPG.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Exhibition
America's Presidents (Reinstallation September 2017)
On View
NPG, West Gallery 210