Presidents of the United States, composition of 17 portraits

What it is

This is a sepia-toned print titled Presidents of the United States, held by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. It shows 17 oval portrait medallions arranged in a pyramid on a dark brown field with stars. Names and numbers are printed beneath each portrait, running from George Washington at the top to Andrew Johnson at the bottom right. The record describes it as a composition of portraits from George Washington to Andrew Johnson.

Why it matters

The print arranges presidents in a single design, so that the viewer sees a sequence of leaders rather than one man. Johnson appears at the lowest position, which shows the order in which he is placed in the series. Prints like this helped audiences learn the names and faces of the presidents, and they show how the nation's leaders were presented to the public.

Look closer

• What does the pyramid shape suggest about how the presidents are ranked or organised?
• Why might a print be made to show many presidents together, and who would buy it?
• What does the print leave out about the presidents' actions and the times they lived through?