Andrew Johnson
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
NPG.69.70
Tags
Art Historical Context
This lithographic print by John Henry Bufford, created around 1864, captures Andrew Johnson at a pivotal moment in American history. Bufford, a leading 19th-century lithographer known for his detailed reproductive prints, depicts Johnson seated at a desk with a quill, book, and chair—symbols of authority and intellect. The portrait highlights Johnson's humble origins as a tailor from Tennessee, where he rose from mayor to U.S. Senator, Vice President, and eventually the 17th President after Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865. Produced during the Civil War era, just as Johnson was elected...