James Garfield
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Object Details
- Artist
- Ole Peter Hansen Balling, 13 Apr 1823 - 1 May 1906
- Sitter
- James Abram Garfield, 19 Nov 1831 - 19 Sep 1881
- Exhibition Label
- Twentieth president, 1881
- James Garfield became president during a period when the Republican Party was split between two rival wings: the Stalwarts, who supported a system of nepotistic patronage, and the Half-Breeds, who opposed such a system. He tried to unite the party by appointing members of both factions to important positions within his administration while staying true to his own reformist sympathies. Like Rutherford B. Hayes before him, Garfield started to implement some modest changes aimed at curbing corruption and nepotism in the civil service, focusing mainly on the postal system and the New York Customs House. While these policies had little immediate effect, they served to set the stage for future reforms. Ultimately, Garfield was unable to accomplish much; less than a year after he became president, he was shot and killed by Charles Guiteau, a deranged office-seeker and self-proclaimed Stalwart.
- 20o presidente, 1881
- James Garfield asumió la presidencia durante una etapa en que el Partido Republicano estaba dividido entre dos facciones rivales: los Stalwarts (incondicionales), que favorecían un sistema de patrocinio nepotista, y los Half-Breeds (moderados), que se oponían a dicho sistema. Garfield trató de unificar el partido designando a miembros de ambas facciones para puestos importantes en su administración, sin dejar de ser fiel a sus propias simpatías reformistas. Al igual que su predecesor Rutherford B. Hayes, Garfield comenzó a imponer cambios modestos a fin de contener la corrupción y el nepotismo en el servicio civil, sobre todo en el sistema de correos y la Aduana de Nueva York. Aunque estas normas tuvieron poco efecto inmediato, abrieron el camino a reformas futuras. Al fin y a la postre, Garfield no alcanzó muchos logros; a menos de un año de ser electo presidente, fue asesinado por Charles Guiteau, un demente que aspiraba a un cargo en el gobierno y que se identificaba como Stalwart.
- Provenance
- International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y.; gift 1961 to NCFA; transferred 1965 to NPG.
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of the International Business Machines Corporation to the Smithsonian Institution, 1962
- 1881
- Object number
- NPG.65.25
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Frame (Verified): 78.1 x 67.9 x 6.4cm (30 3/4 x 26 3/4 x 2 1/2")
- Stretcher: 61 × 50.8cm (24 × 20")
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Exhibition
- America's Presidents (Reinstallation September 2017)
- On View
- NPG, West Gallery 210
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
- Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard
- Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie
- James Abram Garfield: Male
- James Abram Garfield: Law and Crime\Lawyer
- James Abram Garfield: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer
- James Abram Garfield: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General
- James Abram Garfield: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher
- James Abram Garfield: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\College
- James Abram Garfield: Politics and Government\President of US
- James Abram Garfield: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Ohio
- James Abram Garfield: Education and Scholarship\Administrator\College administrator\President
- James Abram Garfield: Politics and Government\State Senator\Ohio
- James Abram Garfield: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Major General
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.65.25
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4c0407c88-0cd6-4f16-af52-1a7c495e7ba2
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