Richard Mentor Johnson
John Neagle·1843
Historical Context
Neagle's portrait of Richard Mentor Johnson, painted in 1843, depicts the ninth Vice President of the United States, who served under Martin Van Buren from 1837 to 1841. Johnson was a controversial figure famous for his claim of killing the Shawnee leader Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames in 1813. Neagle's Philadelphia portrait practice brought him into contact with many of the leading political figures of the antebellum era.
Technical Analysis
Neagle's oil-on-canvas portrait technique captures the aging politician with characteristic directness and solid modeling. The restrained palette and conventional format demonstrate the sober dignity expected of official American portraiture in this period.
Provenance
The artist; (his estate sale, M. Thomas & Sons, Philadelphia, 31 March 1866). acquired before 1868 by Benjamin Ogle Tayloe [1796-1868], Washington; probably by inheritance to his second wife, Phoebe Warren Tayloe [d. 1881], Washington; gift 1878, renegotiated 1902, to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; acquired 2014 by the National Gallery of Art.
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