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John Tyler

Object Details

Exhibition Label
Tenth president, 1841–1845
John Tyler was not elected to serve as president, but after Harrison’s untimely death, he became the first vice president to ascend to the office. For this reason, many referred to President Tyler as “His Accidency,” and his authority was frequently questioned. In September 1841, his entire cabinet resigned in disgust after quarreling with him over federal banking policy. Soon afterward, he was expelled from the Whig Party, whose members would later mount an unsuccessful bid to impeach him. Following his presidency, Tyler became a proponent of Southern secession and was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. In 1857, Congress commissioned George Peter Alexander Healy to create a series of presidential portraits for the White House. Two years later, Healy visited Tyler at his retirement home in Virginia and created this smaller replica of Tyler’s White House portrait.
10o presidente, 1841–1845
John Tyler no fue electo presidente, pero al morir Harrison súbitamente, Tyler se convirtió en el primer vicepresidente que accedió al cargo presidencial. Por esta razón, muchos lo llamaban “Su Accidencia” y su autoridad a menudo se ponía en tela de juicio. En septiembre de 1841, los miembros de su gabinete renunciaron en masa luego de disputarse con él sobre las políticas bancarias federales. Poco después Tyler fue expulsado del Partido Whig, cuyos miembros intentaron más adelante destituirlo sin éxito. Luego de su término en la presidencia, Tyler se convirtió en defensor de la secesión de los estados sureños y fue electo a la Cámara de Representantes de la Confederación. En 1857 el Congreso le encargó a George Peter Alexander Healy una serie de retratos presidenciales para la Casa Blanca. Dos años más tarde, Healy visitó a Tyler en su residencia de retiro en Virginia y produjo esta réplica más pequeña del retrato.
Provenance
“Friends of the National Institute” [Smithsonian]; NCFA; transferred 1970 to NPG.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Artist
George Peter Alexander Healy, 15 Jul 1813 - 24 Jun 1894
Sitter
John Tyler, 29 Mar 1790 - 18 Jan 1862
Date
1859
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of Friends of the National Institute, 1859
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 91.8 × 74cm (36 1/8 × 29 1/8")
Frame (Verified): 117.5 × 14.6 × 99.7cm (46 1/4 × 5 3/4 × 39 1/4")
Type
Painting

Featured In

  • Conociendo a los Presidentes: John Tyler
  • Knowing the Presidents: John Tyler
  • Presidential Portraits
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