Presidential portrait (United States)

An Official Presidential Portrait is an oil portrait painted of a President of the United States of America, a tradition that began with Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington and has continued to modern times, although since the adoption of photography as widely used and reliable technology, the official portrait of the President may also be a photograph. Presidents often display the official portraits of Presidents they admire (on loan from the National Portrait Gallery) in the Oval Office or around the White House.

The Presidential portrait of George Washington was famously rescued by the First Lady Dolley Madison when the British burned down the White House in the War of 1812.

President Theodore Roosevelt's official portrait was originally commissioned to Théobald Chartran in 1902, but when Roosevelt saw the final product he hated it and hid it in the darkest corner of the White House. When family members called it the "Mewing Cat" for making him look so harmless, he had it destroyed and hired John Singer Sargent to paint a more masculine portrait.

Sargent followed Roosevelt around the rooms of the White House, making sketches looking for the right lighting and pose, but was unhappy with them. When Roosevelt headed toward a staircase to try the rooms on the second level, both of their patience was running thin. Roosevelt suggested that Sargent didn't have a clue what he (Sargent) wanted. Sargent responded that Roosevelt didn't know what was needed to pose for a portrait. Roosevelt having reached the landing, planted his hand on the balustrade post, and turned to Sargent angrily demanding "Don't I?!" And the perfect pose had been found.

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Wikipedia