Zachary Taylor

Object Details

Attribution

James Reid Lambdin, 10 May 1807 - 31 Jan 1889

Sitter

Zachary Taylor, 24 Nov 1784 - 9 Jul 1850

Exhibition Label

Twelfth president, 1849–50

Zachary Taylor was swept into the White House on a wave of popularity resulting from his victories in the Mexican-American War, and he began his presidency with the promise of bringing harmony to the Union. The ongoing debate over slavery, however, brought the nation closer to a sectional divide, particularly when decisions had to be made about whether or not to allow slavery in states that were forming in newly acquired territory. A Southerner by birth, Taylor was in favor of keeping slavery out of the new Southwest territories, namely California and New Mexico, and under his administration, Congress negotiatied to resolve the manifold political issues caused by slavery. But Taylor’s best efforts were ended by his sudden death, less than two years into his presidency. In this election year portrait, Taylor is presented as a sedate and uncharacteristically groomed figure. “Old Rough and Ready,” as Taylor’s soldiers knew him, usually dressed “entirely for comfort,” wrote Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant.

12o presidente, 1849–50

Zachary Taylor llegó a la Casa Blanca montado en una ola de popularidad a raíz de sus victorias en la Guerra de Estados Unidos y México, y comenzó su presidencia con la promesa de traer armonía a la Unión. Sin embargo, el debate vigente sobre el asunto de la esclavitud empujaba al país hacia la división, sobre todo a la hora de decidir si se permitirían esclavos en los estados que se estaban formando en los territorios recién adquiridos. Sureño de nacimiento, Taylor estaba a favor de prohibir la esclavitud en los nuevos territorios del suroeste, es decir, California y Nuevo México, y bajo su administración, el Congreso condujo negociaciones para resolver los múltiples problemas políticos causados por la esclavitud. Los grandes esfuerzos de Taylor se vieron truncados con su muerte súbita antes de cumplir dos años en la presidencia y un Compromiso de 1850 drásticamente modificado. En este retrato realizado en el año de su elección a la presidencia, Taylor tiene una apariencia sosegada y, en contra de su costumbre, va vestido con esmero. En efecto, sus soldados lo llamaban “Old Rough and Ready” (“listo como quiera”) y, según el teniente Ulysses S. Grant, vestía “siempre en función de la comodidad”.

Provenance

Theodore Sullivan; his grandson Walter S. Sullivan, Jr., New York, and three granddaughters; purchased 1976 NPG

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Barry Bingham, Sr.

1848

Object number

NPG.76.7

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 76.8 × 63.8 × 2.9cm (30 1/4 × 25 1/8 × 1 1/8")

Frame: 94.6 x 81.3 x 5.7cm (37 1/4 x 32 x 2 1/4")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

America's Presidents (Reinstallation September 2017)

On View

NPG, South Gallery 240

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie

Zachary Taylor: Male

Zachary Taylor: Politics and Government\President of US

Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\War of 1812 army officer

Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Mexican War army officer

Zachary Taylor: Congressional Gold Medal

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.76.7

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm429ccd3e2-249b-42b4-a1c7-4ffa5619f2fb