Sir William Penn

Art Historical Context

**Sir William Penn** *Jacques Reich (18521923), c. 1899–1920* *Drawing; National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian; Smithsonian American Art Museum* evocative drawing portrays William Penn, the English Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, a key figure in colonial America. Created by Jacques Reich, a Polish-American artist celebrated for his precise portraiture, the work dates to the late 19th early 20th century Penn (1644–1718), titled here as "Sir," is remembered for his 1682 treaty with the Lenape people—famously transacted without a written document—and his advocacy for religious freedom, ...