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Primary sourcePainting1866

Ulysses S. Grant portrait by Constant Mayer

Constant Mayer · 1866

An 1866 oil portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, painted when he was a celebrated national hero after the Civil War.

This 1866 portrait depicts Grant as a celebrated military hero shortly after the Civil War.

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Oil painting of a bearded man with short dark brown hair and a reddish-brown beard, wearing a dark navy military-style coat with gold-embroidered shoulder boards, white collar, and dark necktie, against a grey cloudy background.
Constant Mayer, Portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, 1866.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil painting of Ulysses S. Grant made in 1866 by the artist Constant Mayer. It shows a bearded man with short dark brown hair, wearing a dark navy military-style coat with gold-embroidered shoulder boards, a white collar, and a dark necktie, against a grey cloudy background.

Why it matters

Painted the year after the Civil War ended, the portrait reflects Grant's status as a celebrated military leader at the height of his fame, before he became president. Portraits like this helped shape the public image of Grant as a dignified national figure.

Look closer

  • What does the military uniform and formal pose suggest about how Grant wanted to be seen, or how the artist wanted him seen?
  • Why might an artist choose a plain, cloudy background instead of a detailed setting?
  • What can't a painted portrait tell us about a person that other sources might?

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

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