Object Details
Artist
Jon R. Friedman, born 1947
Sitter
William Henry Gates III, born 28 Oct 1955
Melinda Gates, born 1964
Exhibition Label
Bill Gates (born 1955) left Harvard University in 1975 to write software for the earliest personal computers. His company, Microsoft, developed a computer operating system for large-scale nontechnical use that prompted the personal computer revolution begun in the 1980s, eventually making Gates one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Melinda French Gates (born 1964) has degrees in computer science, economics, and business, and worked at Microsoft before marrying Bill Gates in 1994.
The couple created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, with the mission of helping all people live healthy, productive lives. In 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were ending their marriage of twenty-seven years but would continue working together at the foundation.
This painting’s invented setting evokes the Gates family home on Lake Washington. The collaged screen on the left includes maps, charts, and images referencing the foundation’s work while the Cascade Mountains can be seen in the distance.
Bill Gates (n. 1955) abandonó la Universidad de Harvard en 1975 y se dedicó a crear software para las primeras computadoras personales. Su compañía, Microsoft, desarrolló un sistema operativo para uso general fuera del ámbito técnico que propulsó la revolución de las PC en la década de 1980, y ha hecho a Gates una de las personas más ricas del mundo. Melinda French Gates (n. 1964) tiene títulos en ciencias informáticas, economía y comercio, y trabajó en Microsoft antes de casarse con Bill Gates en 1994.
La pareja creó la Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation en el año 2000 para ayudar a las personas a llevar vidas más saludables y productivas. En 2021, Bill y Melinda Gates anunciaron que daban fin a su matrimonio de 27 años, pero que continuarán colaborando en la fundación.
La ambientación imaginaria de esta pintura evoca el hogar de la familia Gates en el lago Washington, con las montañas Cascade a lo lejos. La pantalla de la izquierda muestra un collage de mapas, gráficas e imágenes alusivas a la labor de la fundación.
Provenance
NPG commissioned from artist
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; supported by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and by the Marc Pachter Commissioning Fund
Date
2010
Object number
NPG.2010.83
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil and collage on canvas attached to wood panel
Dimensions
Panel: 127.6 x 117.5cm (50 1/4 x 46 1/4")
Frame: 130.7 x 120.5 x 7cm (51 7/16 x 47 7/16 x 2 3/4")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Interior\Interior with Exterior View
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair\Armchair
Interior\Conference room
William Henry Gates III: Male
William Henry Gates III: Social Welfare and Reform\Philanthropist
William Henry Gates III: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Humanitarian
William Henry Gates III: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Business executive\Technology executive\Computer technology executive
William Henry Gates III: Civilian awards\Presidential Medal of Freedom
William Henry Gates III: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Entrepreneur\Technology
William Henry Gates III: Science and Technology\Software developer
William Henry Gates III: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Business magnate
Melinda Gates: Female
Melinda Gates: Social Welfare and Reform\Philanthropist
Melinda Gates: Awards & Honors
Melinda Gates: Civilian awards\Presidential Medal of Freedom
Melinda Gates: Science and Technology\Software developer
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2010.83