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Primary sourcePainting1800

Thomas Jefferson

Rembrandt Peale · 1800

A 1800 life portrait of Jefferson painted around the time of his election, now part of the White House collection.

This portrait depicts Jefferson and was painted from life at the time of his election as president.

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Oil portrait of an older man with white hair swept back at the sides, wearing a dark coat and white high collar, against a dark background with a reddish-brown glow behind his right shoulder. He has a slight closed-mouth expression.
Rembrandt Peale, Thomas Jefferson, 1800. White House, Washington D.C.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil portrait of Thomas Jefferson painted by Rembrandt Peale in 1800. It is held by the White House and serves as the official likeness used there.

Why it matters

Painted from life at the moment of Jefferson's election as president, the portrait shows how Jefferson wished to be seen as he entered the nation's highest office. It reveals how artists like Peale helped shape the public image of early American leaders.

Look closer

  • What does Jefferson's expression and posture suggest about how he wanted to be portrayed?
  • Why might a portrait made at the time of an election matter differently than one made later?
  • What is left out of a formal portrait like this that a letter or diary might reveal?

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

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Thomas Jefferson · written 1777, enacted 16 January 1786

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Secondary source

Porträt Thomas Jefferson

Auguste Gaspard Louis Boucher Desnoyers

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