Artwork
Henry Clay
Henry Clay is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Charles Bird King. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts the Kentucky statesman in formal attire, reflecting his prominence in early nineteenth-century American politics.
Charles Bird King painted Henry Clay in 1821, an oil on canvas measuring 91.76 by 71.44 cm. The portrait depicts the Kentucky statesman in formal attire, reflecting his prominence in early nineteenth-century American politics. Held by the National Gallery of Art since 2015, following its transfer from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the painting belongs to the tradition of statesman portraiture, which emphasized dignity and civic virtue through conventional iconography of dress and composition.
Technique & Style
Created in 1821, this portrait of Henry Clay is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 91.76 cm in height and 71.44 cm in width. The work uses traditional materials characteristic of early nineteenth-century American portraiture. It entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2015, following its transfer from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where it had been held since 1981.
History & Provenance
Charles Bird King painted the oil-on-canvas portrait of Henry Clay in 1821. The work was formerly in the collection of John Cranch of Urbana, Ohio. On 9 May 1981 the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., acquired the painting, and in 2015 it passed to the National Gallery of Art, where it remains.
No exhibition history beyond this institutional provenance is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1821, this oil on canvas presents a seated Henry Clay, a leading American politician of the early nineteenth century. The figure is positioned at a table, holding a sheet of paper, with a quill and inkwell nearby, suggesting a moment of correspondence or drafting. His attire, dark coat with gilded buttons, white shirt and bow tie, conveys the formal dress of a statesman.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Bird King (September 26, 1785 – March 18, 1862) was an American portrait artist, best known for his portrayals of significant Native American leaders and tribesmen.
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