Duke Ellington

Object Details

Exhibition Label: In the first rank of American composers, Duke Ellington was-to use a favorite phrase of his own-"beyond category." He produced what has been called the "single most impressive body of composition in American jazz": more than two thousand compositions that ranged from such popular classics as "Satin Doll" and "Sophisticated Lady" to extended works such as Black, Brown and Beige, which premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1943. Ellington continually expanded his work as a composer and bandleader, composing for Broadway (Beggar's Opera) and Hollywood (including the film score for Anatomy of a Murder); undertaking extensive international tours; and working with younger jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. He received the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for his long-term achievement and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
Collection Description: 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.

Credit Line: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

1956

Medium: Tempera on board
Dimensions: Board: 48.3 x 34.3cm (19 x 13 1/2"); Frame: 65.4 x 51.8 x 3.8cm (25 3/4 x 20 3/8 x 1 1/2")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Music\Musical instrument\Piano; Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache; Home Furnishings\Curtain; Costume\Dress Accessory\Tie\Necktie; Duke Ellington: Male; Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer; Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist; Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz; Duke Ellington: Presidential Medal of Freedom; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4deac7c18-70dc-4324-8781-d8a56afee471