George V

About this artwork

In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.

Art Historical Context

In 1932, American artist Samuel Johnson Woolf created this striking drawing of King George V, the longstanding monarch of the United Kingdom and Emperor of, for a *Time* magazine cover. Capturing the king in regal profile with his signature beard, mustache, and neatly knotted necktie, the portrait conveys quiet authority and dignity. Woolf, active from 1880 to 1948, was renowned for his deft portrait drawings that brought world leaders to life in print, blending precision with immediacy suited to magazine deadlines. This work is part of the extraordinary *Time* Collection, donated by the magazine in 1978 to the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution—now housed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Comprising around 800 original cover artworks, the gift highlights prominent international figures like George V, whose reign (1910–1936) spanned the turbulence of World War I, the Great Depression, and the British Empire's transformations. As a drawing, it exemplifies the medium's power for rapid yet insightful likenesses, offering visitors a window into America's fascination with global influencers during the early 20th century.