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Edward O. Wilson

National Portrait Gallery

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Object Details

Artist
Jennie Summerall, born 1959
Sitter
Edward Osborne Wilson, born 10 Jun 1929
Exhibition Label
Born Birmingham, Alabama
Biologist Edward O. Wilson-two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction-has been a leader of the biodiversity movement since the 1980s. Trained as an entomologist specializing in ant biology, Wilson has ranged from New Guinea and Sri Lanka to the Smithsonian Institution for his work. His groundbreaking Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975) was a controversial study that examined the biological basis of social behavior in all kinds of organisms, including vertebrates, with links to evolutionary biology. A hallmark of his later work has been an attempt to bridge the gap between science and the culture at large, as in Consilience: The Unity of Life (1998).
Artist Jennie Summerall posed Wilson in a setting reminiscent of the landscape on Lignum Vitae Key in Florida, which he helped preserve. Based on photographic images, the painting references Wilson's earlier studies on ant populations, while depicting him as he looks today.
Provenance
The artist; purchased 2007 NPG
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
2006
Object number
NPG.2007.4
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© 2006 Jennie Summerall
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 147 x 116.8cm (57 7/8 x 46")
Frame: 152.1 x 121.9 x 4.4cm (59 7/8 x 48 x 1 3/4")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
20th Century Americans: 2000 to Present
On View
NPG, South Gallery 341
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Exterior\Landscape
Nature & Environment\Animal\Insect\Butterfly
Nature & Environment\Plant\Tree\Palm
Nature & Environment\Animal\Snail
Nature & Environment\Animal\Spider
Edward Osborne Wilson: Male
Edward Osborne Wilson: Literature\Writer
Edward Osborne Wilson: Education\Educator\Professor
Edward Osborne Wilson: Science and Technology\Scientist\Biologist\Zoologist
Edward Osborne Wilson: Humanities and Social Sciences\Sociologist
Edward Osborne Wilson: Science and Technology\Scientist\Biologist
Edward Osborne Wilson: Science and Technology\Scientist\Biologist\Zoologist\Entomologist
Edward Osborne Wilson: Pulitzer Prize
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.2007.4
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm49569db14-89a7-4eec-9ebe-3206bbf44af9
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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