David Henshaw
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the Library of Congress
Accession Number
S/NPG.66.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1843 print by Swiss-born artist Charles Fenderich captures David Henshaw, a prominent Massachusetts banker and political who briefly served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Created during a pivotal era of American expansion and naval development, the portrait reflects the growing demand for accessible images of national leaders. Fenderich, active in the United States from the 1830s onward, specialized in lithography, a relatively new printmaking technique that allowed detailed portraits to reach broader audiences through newspapers and books. As a lithograph, the work demonstrates the medi...