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 accompanying 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.
Firma del Tratado de Versalles
La fe de los estadounidenses en las reformas y el progreso a principios del siglo XX recibió un duro golpe en 1914 con el estallido de la guerra en Europa. Muchos daban por sentado que las naciones ya no tenían que recurrir a la guerra para resolver desacuerdos, aunque por años el presidente Woodrow Wilson y otros habían considerado a Alemania una amenaza para las naciones democráticas. Wilson se aferraba al principio de neutralidad de Estados Unidos, pero se vio obligado a proteger los intereses marítimos y comerciales que, a medida que avanzaba la guerra, eran afectados tanto por Alemania como por Gran Bretaña. La decisión alemana de comenzar una guerra submarina sin restricciones en febrero de 1917, en respuesta al bloqueo naval británico, forzó a Wilson a tomar medidas. El 2 de abril de 1917 proclamó que debíamos “hacer del mundo un sitio seguro para la democracia”, y pocos días más tarde el Congreso aprobó una declaración de guerra contra Alemania.
Después de la guerra, el artista de origen danés John C. Johansen plasmó la ceremonia de la firma del Tratado de Versalles de 1919. La desilusión que vino con el estallido de la guerra, y que había sido reemplazada por entusiasmo e idealismo a raíz de la entrada de Estados Unidos en el conflicto, regresó al fin y a la postre. Estados Unidos y los Aliados habían triunfado, pero no era, como había proclamado Wilson, la “guerra que pondría fin a todas las guerras”. Su esperanza de una paz duradera, su meta de proteger la soberanía de todas las naciones en vez de castigar a los vencidos y su visión de una Liga de las Naciones no sobrevivieron ante las realidades de la política internacional. Los estadounidenses dieron la espalda al idealismo. La ley seca, ratificada en la 18va enmienda de la Constitución en 1919, es considerada por muchos historiadores como el último aliento de las reformas de principios del siglo XX. Muchos volvieron su atención en ese momento a asuntos más cotidianos, como hacer dinero, consumir bienes de producción masiva y sumergirse en la cultura popular.
Habían llegado los “locos años veinte”.
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
Date
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
On View
NPG, South Gallery 322
Data Source
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 Crime\Lawyer
Woodrow Wilson: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer
Woodrow Wilson: Arts and Culture\Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\University
Woodrow Wilson: Arts and Culture\Education and Scholarship\Administrator\University administrator\University president
Woodrow Wilson: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US
Woodrow Wilson: Politics and Government\Government official\Governor\New Jersey
Woodrow Wilson: Nobel Prize
Robert Lansing: Male
Robert Lansing: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Robert Lansing: Politics and Government\Government official\Cabinet member\Secretary of State
Tasker Howard Bliss: Male
Tasker Howard Bliss: Politics and Government\Diplomat
Tasker Howard Bliss: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General
Tasker Howard Bliss: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\World War I
Tasker Howard Bliss: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Joint Chiefs of Staff
John Joseph Pershing: Male
John Joseph Pershing: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General
John Joseph Pershing: Literary awards\Pulitzer Prize
John Joseph Pershing: Civilian awards\Congressional Gold Medal
Edward Mandell House: Male
Edward Mandell House: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Edward Mandell House: Politics and Government\Government official\Public official
Edward Mandell House: Politics and Government\Government official\Presidential advisor
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.65.83