Object Details
Artist
George Peter Alexander Healy, 15 Jul 1813 - 24 Jun 1894
Sitter
Martin Van Buren, 5 Dec 1782 - 24 Jul 1862
Exhibition Label
Eighth president, 1837–1841
The first president born a U.S. citizen rather than a British subject, Martin Van Buren was known as the “Little Magician” for his short stature and political wizardry. He helped found the Democratic Party, which had put Andrew Jackson in the White House, and succeeded Jackson after serving as his vice president. The Panic of 1837, an unprecedented financial crisis, occurred shortly after Van Buren took office, earning him the nickname “Martin Van Ruin.”
Van Buren continued Jackson’s policy of forcibly removing Native Americans from their homelands. Unlike Jackson, he opposed annexing Texas, fearing that adding another state that permitted slavery would further divide the country. Eight years after losing reelection, he unsuccessfully ran as a Free Soil Party candidate to protest slavery’s expansion.
Van Buren’s life encompassed the end of the American Revolution (1775–83) and the onset of the Civil War (1861–65). Announcing his death, Abraham Lincoln wrote that Van Buren’s “prayers were for the restoration of the authority of the Government.”
8vo presidente, 1837–1841
Martin Van Buren, primer presidente que nació como ciudadano de Estados Unidos, y no súbdito británico, era conocido como el “Pequeño Mago” por su baja estatura y su maestría política. Contribuyó a fundar el Partido Demócrata, que llevó a Andrew Jackson a la Casa Blanca, y sucedió a Jackson tras haber sido su vicepresidente. El Pánico de 1837, una crisis financiera sin precedentes comenzada a poco de que asumiera el cargo, le ganó el apodo de “Martin Van Ruina”.
Van Buren siguió la política de Jackson de desterrar a los nativos americanos de sus tierras. Pero a diferencia de este, se opuso a la anexión de Texas, temiendo que añadir otro estado esclavista dividiría aún más la nación. Ocho años después de perder la reelección, se postuló sin éxito por el Partido Suelo Libre para protestar contra la expansión de la esclavitud.
Van Buren vivió desde el fin de la Revolución Estadounidense (1775–83) hasta el inicio de la Guerra Civil (1861–65). Al anunciar su muerte, Abraham Lincoln escribió que “su anhelo siempre fue la restauración de la autoridad del gobierno”.
Provenance
Thomas B. Bryan, Chicago [1861-1876]; Purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1879; Gift to NPG, 2019.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund) The Corcoran Gallery of Art, one of the country’s first private museums, was established in 1869 to promote art and American genius. In 2014 the Works from the Corcoran Collection were distributed to institutions in Washington, D.C.
Date
April 15, 1857
Object number
NPG.2019.16
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Sight: 74.6 × 61.6 cm (29 3/8 × 24 1/4")
Stretcher: 76.2 × 63.5 cm (30 × 25")
Frame: 99.7 × 87.3 × 9.5 cm (39 1/4 × 34 3/8 × 3 3/4")
Place
United States\Pennsylvania\Philadelphia\Philadelphia
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Interior
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Muttonchops
Costume\Outerwear\Coat\Jacket
Martin Van Buren: Male
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\US Senator\New York
Martin Van Buren: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Vice-President of US
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\Governor\New York
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\Cabinet member\Secretary of State
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\State Senator\New York
Martin Van Buren: Politics and Government\Government official\State Attorney General\New York
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2019.16