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Primary sourcePainting1835

Portrait of William Henry Harrison

James Reid Lambdin · 1835

An 1835 oil portrait of William Henry Harrison painted during his Ohio retirement, shortly before his first run for president.

This portrait depicts Harrison himself in retirement, just before his first presidential campaign.

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Oil painting of an older man with short graying hair, wearing a dark high-collared coat, white shirt and black cravat, against a very dark background. He looks directly at the viewer with a slight, closed-mouth expression.
James Reid Lambdin, portrait of William Henry Harrison, 1835.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil painting of William Henry Harrison made in 1835 by the artist James Reid Lambdin. It shows Harrison as an older man during his retirement years in Ohio, not long before he entered the race for the presidency.

Why it matters

The portrait captures Harrison at a turning point, after his long career as a soldier and territorial governor and just before he became a national political figure. It is one of the images now linked to his official Wikidata record as a standard likeness of him.

Look closer

  • What does Harrison's expression and posture suggest the painter wanted viewers to think of him?
  • Why might an artist choose a plain, dark background for a political portrait?
  • What does this image not tell us about Harrison's actual political views or actions?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Henry Harrison on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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William Henry Harrison

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