Martin Van Buren
c. 1837
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mrs. Robert Timpson Conserved with funds from the Smithsonian Women's Committee
Accession Number
NPG.80.14
Tags
About this artwork
Mrs. Robert Timpson, Southampton, N.Y.; gift to NPG
Art Historical Context
This charming miniature portrait depicts Martin Van Buren, eighth President of the United States, around 1837 by an unidentified artist. Painted at the outset of his presidency (1837–1841), it showcases Van Buren in his prime—a New York lawyer who rose through politics as a state senator U.S. senator, Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson, and Vice President before ascending to the White House. The intimate scale of the miniature format reflects a popular 19th-century tradition, where small-scale oils or watercolors were treasured as personal keepsakes, often worn as pendants or displayed in...