John Wayne

Born Winterset, Iowa

One of the archetypal heroic figures of twentieth-century film, John Wayne conveyed a decisive, solitary, reverent screen persona that reflected traditional American values. Wayne’s collaboration with director John Ford led to such classics as Stagecoach, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Quiet Man. During World War II, Wayne starred in several morale-boosting movies, including Flying Tigers and Back to Bataan. He finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969), as he is depicted here. About his long-lived popularity he said, “I play John Wayne in every part regardless of the character, and I’ve been doing okay, haven’t I?”

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.

En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.