Ira David Sankey
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Trustees, National Portrait Gallery, London
Accession Number
NPG.64.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1875, Italian caricaturist Carlo Pellegr, known by his pseudonym "Ape," created this striking ink drawing of Ira David Sankey, prominent American gospel singer and evangelist. Captured in a church interior with a pulpit and holding a book—likely a hymnal—Sankey's bearded portrait exudes the earnest charisma that defined his ministry. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's National Portrait Gallery collection, this work was a gift from London's National Portrait Gallery, highlighting its transatlantic cultural resonance. Sankey rose to fame alongside evangelist Dwight L. Moody duri...