Daniel Webster

c. 1850

Attributed to James Reid Lambdin

Associated Names
James Reid Lambdin

Painter, American, 1807 - 1889

The image shows an upper-body portrait of a person seated in a slightly turned position, looking directly at the viewer. The person has distinctive facial features, including a strong brow, deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and a firm mouth. Their hair is dark and receding, with tufts visible on the sides. They wear a formal outfit with a high-collared white shirt, a cravat, and a dark suit with wide lapels and two visible buttons. The background is plain, dark, and subtly gradient, emphasizing the person in the foreground. There is no jewelry or objects held by the person. The artwork is done in a classic, historical style against an indistinct brown backdrop.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Andrew W. Mellon Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 91.7 x 73.8 cm (36 1/8 x 29 1/16 in.)
    framed: 120 x 102.2 x 10.2 cm (47 1/4 x 40 1/4 x 4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1954.1.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Charles A. Gould [d. 1926], Buffalo; his estate; (sale, American Art Association and Anderson Galleries, New York, 30-31 October 1929, no. 79);[1] Thomas B. Clarke [1848-1931], New York; his estate; sold as part of the Thomas B. Clarke collection 29 January 1936, through (M. Knoedler & Co., New York), to The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Pittsburgh; gift 1954 to NGA.
[1] According to 1928 Clarke exhibition catalogue annotated with information from files of M. Knoedler & Co., NY (copy in NGA curatorial records and in NGA library).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1954

  • Extended loan for use at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., 1954-1980.

1982

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Arthur Hartmann, U.S. Embassy, Moscow, U.S.S.R., 1982-1987.

1989

  • Extended loan for use by Ambassador Maynard Glitman, U.S. Embassy residence, Brussels, Belgium, 1989-1991.

Bibliography

1938

  • O'Connor, John. "Reviewing a Forgotten Artist: A Sketch of James Reid Lambdin--the Pittsburgh Painter of American Statesmen." Carnegie Magazine 12 (1938): 115-118, repro. 118.

1970

  • American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 78, repro.

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 192, repro.

1992

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 225, repro.

1996

  • Kelly, Franklin, with Nicolai Cikovsky, Jr., Deborah Chotner, and John Davis. American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1996: 404-406, repro.

Inscriptions

falsely signed and dated, lower left: JRL / 1848

Wikidata ID

Q20187958

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