More from the NPG

More from the 20th Century Americans exibit at the National Portrait Gallery:

* Winston Churchill–What struck me about this painting was the striking blue of the uniform, though it’s hard to see that in this picture.

* George Marshall–This one occupied a separate wall…very true to life rendering. Not at all like the MacAuthor painting.

* Anthony McAuliffe–I actually hoped to find this one…In the 101st A/B Triggertime forum, McAuliffe’s nephew mentioned in a post that he saw this portrait some time ago in the NPG, but was also looking for its companion piece, a full length portrait, that “disappeared” some years ago. Supposedly the NPG loaned it to a gallery in NYC in the 1950s and the gallery later went out of business. The portrait has been missing since.

Douglas MacAuthur

Now this one over at the NPG caught my eye among all the ww2 portraits. All the portraits there, and most others I’ve seen, are generally as true to life as the artist can make them. It’s almost as if a different kind of visual interpretation breaks the rule of painting “serious war fellows.” This painting works for me…maybe it’s the breezy feel, and the way the artist makes DM look like some cool-cat-dandy (in a good way). The only thing that reminds me of a uniform is the hat.

In the end, art is supposed to change the way you look at things anyway, maybe challenge you a little. This portrait certainly does.

Douglas MacArthur (reference via http://www.npg.si.edu/)

Sitter: Douglas MacArthur, 26 Jan 1880 - 5 Apr 1964
Artist: Howard Chandler Christy, 10 Jan 1873 - 4 Mar 1952
Date of Work: 1952?
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: Stretcher: 137.8 x 100.3cm (54 1/4 x 39 1/2″) Frame: 161.3 x 122.6 x 7cm (63 1/2 x 48 1/4 x 2 3/4″)
Owner : National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Acquisition Date: 1978
Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Henry Ostrow
Exhibition: 20th Century Americans: 1930-1950
On View: S321
Ref. NPG.78.271

George Patton

Over at the National Portrait Gallery today and wandered in to the 20th Century Americans exhibit. This area, more or less, was the WWII section with portraits of Marshall, Halsey, Mark Clark, Churchill, Ike (though his was only 8×11—hopefully he has something better over in the American Presidents wing, though I didn’t have the chance to see that part of the museum today).

This one of Patton caught my eye (and sorry for my crappy photog work). But I enjoyed seeing this painting (some six feet tall), and the pearl handled pistol so well with associated with his persona.

The National Portrait gallery reference (via http://www.npg.si.edu/):

General George S. Patton, Jr.

Sitter: George Smith Patton Jr., 11 Nov 1885 - 21 Dec 1945
Artist: Boleslaw Jan Czedekowski, 1885 - 1969
Date of Work: 1945
Medium: Oil on canvas
Place of execution: Bad Tölz
Dimensions: Stretcher: 127 x 103.2cm (50 x 40 5/8″) Frame: 149.2 x 121.9 x 7cm (58 3/4 x 48 x 2 3/4″)
Owner : National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Acquisition Date: 1999-06-19
Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Major General George S. Patton, U.S.A., Retired, and the Patton Family; Frame conserved with funds from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee
Exhibition: 20th Century Americans: 1930-1950
On View: S321
Ref. NPG.99.5