Signing of the Treaty of Versailles, 1919

Object Details

Artist

John Christen Johansen, 25 Nov 1876 - 23 Jun 1964

Sitter

John Joseph Pershing, 13 Sep 1860 - 15 Jul 1948

Tasker Howard Bliss, 31 Dec 1853 - 9 Nov 1930

Woodrow Wilson, 28 Dec 1856 - 3 Feb 1924

Edward Mandell House, 26 Jul 1858 - 28 Mar 1938

Henry White, 29 May 1850 - 15 Jul 1927

Robert Lansing, 17 Oct 1864 - 20 Oct 1928

Exhibition Label

The American belief in reform and progress at the beginning of the twentieth century received a severe blow with the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914. Many had taken it as an article of faith that nations no longer had to resort to war to solve differences, even though Germany had been perceived as a threat to democratic nations by President Woodrow Wilson and others for years. Wilson clung to the principle of American neutrality, but he was obligated to protect American maritime and commercial interests, which, as the war progressed, were being interfered with by both Germany and Great Britain. Germany's decision to begin unrestricted submarine warfare in February 1917, in retaliation for the British naval blockade, forced Wilson's hand. On April 2, 1917, he proclaimed that the "world must be made safe for democracy," and days later Congress passed a declaration of war against Germany.

After the war ended, Danish-born artist John C. Johansen portrayed the treaty-signing ceremonies at Versailles in 1919. The disillusion that accompanied the outbreak of World War I, supplanted by the enthusiasm and idealism accompanying America's entry into the war, returned in the final outcome. The United States and the Allies won, but it was not, as Wilson had proclaimed, the "war to end all wars." His hope for a lasting peace, protecting the sovereignty of all nations rather than punishing the vanquished, and his vision of a League of Nations did not survive the realities of international politics. Americans turned away from idealism. Prohibition, ratified in the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, is viewed by many historians as the last gasp of early-twentieth-century reform. Many Americans then turned their attention to the more mundane matters of making money, consuming mass-produced goods, and immersing themselves in popular culture. The Roaring Twenties had begun.

Provenance

Gift of an anonymous donor to NCFA through (Mrs. Elizabeth A. Rogerson, Arden Studios, New York) 1926 ; transferred 1965 to NPG.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of an anonymous donor, 1926

1919

Object number

NPG.65.83

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Sight: 176.5 x 162.5cm (69 1/2 x 64")

Frame: 186.7 x 171.8 x 5.7cm (73 1/2 x 67 5/8 x 2 1/4")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

20th Century Americans: 1900-1930 (re-installation 2012)

On View

NPG, South Gallery 322

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Interior

Costume\Headgear\Helmet

Printed Material\Document

Architecture\Window

Artwork\Sculpture

Henry White: Male

Henry White: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Ambassador

Woodrow Wilson: Male

Woodrow Wilson: Law and Law Enforcement\Lawyer

Woodrow Wilson: Literature\Writer

Woodrow Wilson: Education\Educator\Professor\University

Woodrow Wilson: Education\Administrator\University\President

Woodrow Wilson: Politics and Government\President of US

Woodrow Wilson: Politics and Government\Governor\New Jersey

Woodrow Wilson: Nobel Prize

Robert Lansing: Male

Robert Lansing: Law and Law Enforcement\Lawyer

Robert Lansing: Politics and Government\Cabinet Member\Secretary of State

Tasker Howard Bliss: Male

Tasker Howard Bliss: Politics and Government\Diplomat

Tasker Howard Bliss: Military\Army\Officer\General

Tasker Howard Bliss: Military\Army\Officer\World War I

Tasker Howard Bliss: Military\Army\Officer\Joint Chiefs of Staff

John Joseph Pershing: Male

John Joseph Pershing: Military\Army\Officer\General

John Joseph Pershing: Pulitzer Prize

John Joseph Pershing: Congressional Gold Medal

Edward Mandell House: Male

Edward Mandell House: Law and Law Enforcement\Lawyer

Edward Mandell House: Politics and Government\Public Official

Edward Mandell House: Politics and Government\Government Official\Presidential Advisor

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.65.83

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm434267014-1935-48a6-9bb0-b21ab3130d2a