National Portrait Gallery
- Date:
- 1921 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- portraiture
News •
National Portrait Gallery, American museum dedicated to portraiture of Americans, especially those who have made important contributions to the country and its culture. It is notable for its complete collection of portraits of presidents and first ladies. Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is located in Washington, D.C.
History
Although the Smithsonian Institution began collecting portraits in 1921, the National Portrait Gallery did not officially open until 1962. In 1976 the gallery, which had long limited its acquisitions to oil paintings, changed its criteria and began to accept portraits in any media, including photography and sculpture. In 2006 it also ended a rule that the person had to have been dead for at least 10 years. These policy changes greatly expanded the collection.
Collection
The gallery considers the historical significance of the subject of a portrait more important than the artistic merit of the portrait and always seeks the most accurate likeness possible. Many significant artists, however, have contributed portraits, including Kehinde Wiley (U.S. Pres. Barack Obama [2018]), Amy Sherald (U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama [2018]), Chuck Close (U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton [2006]), Elaine de Kooning (U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy [1963]) and Anders Zorn (U.S. First Lady Frances Cleveland).
Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture
In 1968 the National Portrait Gallery moved into the former Patent Office Building. This building, which the National Portrait Gallery shares with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, is on the National Historic Landmarks registry for its Greek Revival architecture and because it was the third public building constructed in Washington, D.C., after the White House and the Capitol building. The building, now known as the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, reopened in 2006 after undergoing renovations to emphasize its strongest architectural features, including porticos, vaulted ceilings, and a curving double staircase.
Challenges to the museum’s operation
In 2025 the National Portrait Gallery made headlines when Pres. Donald Trump announced over social media that he had fired the museum’s director, Kim Sajet. He called her “highly partisan and a strong supporter of DEI,” referring to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. As part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Portrait Gallery receives some federal funding, but it was unclear whether the president had the right to make such an unprecedented move. The Smithsonian issued a statement soon after, noting that all personnel decisions were “subject to the direction of the Secretary” of the Smithsonian, who “has the support of the Board of Regents [the institution’s governing board] in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.” Sajet, who was the first woman to lead the National Portrait Gallery, nonetheless stepped down several days after the statement was made.
Resources for research
The National Portrait Gallery features many research resources, including a searchable electronic database of more than 200,000 portraits from both the gallery and private collections. It also has collections of biographical information on well-known Americans, including the Charles Willson Peale family papers, which focus on important Americans in 18th- and 19th-century Maryland and Pennsylvania.