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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1800

W.H. Harrison ca. 1800

Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin · c. 1800

A profile portrait drawing of William Henry Harrison made around 1800 while he served as delegate from the Northwest Territory.

This early portrait depicts Harrison as a young delegate, before his later military and political fame.

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Circular profile portrait in brown and sepia tones of a man facing right, with powdered, wavy hair tied back, a high white cravat, and a dark coat, set against a dark background.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, portrait of William Henry Harrison, c. 1800.

About this source

What it is

This circular profile portrait, drawn by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, shows a young William Henry Harrison around the year 1800. At the time, Harrison was serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Northwest Territory.

Why it matters

This is among the earliest known likenesses of Harrison, made decades before his presidency. Saint-Mémin was known for producing profile portraits of early American political figures, and this one captures Harrison at the start of his long public career in territorial government, well before he became governor, general, or president.

Look closer

  • What does Harrison's clothing and hairstyle tell you about fashions of the period?
  • Why might an artist have chosen the profile format rather than a full-face portrait?
  • What can and can't a portrait like this tell us about who Harrison was as a person?

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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