Skip to main content

Primary sourcePainting1840

William Henry Harrison (Beard portrait)

James Henry Beard · 1840

An 1840 campaign-year oil portrait of William Henry Harrison, now held by the National Portrait Gallery.

This life portrait shows Harrison as presidential candidate in 1840, the year before he took office.

Ask William Henry Harrison about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Oil portrait of an older man with short gray hair, dark eyes, and a slight closed-mouth expression, wearing a black coat, white shirt, and black cravat, holding a rolled document in his right hand against a dark background.
James Henry Beard, William Henry Harrison, 1840. National Portrait Gallery.

About this source

What it is

This oil portrait of William Henry Harrison was painted in 1840 by James Henry Beard. It shows Harrison holding a rolled document, and is held today by the National Portrait Gallery.

Why it matters

Painted during Harrison's successful 1840 presidential campaign, the portrait is a life image made while he was actively running for office, giving historians a direct visual record of how he presented himself as a candidate.

Look closer

  • What might the rolled document in his hand be meant to suggest about his role or achievements?
  • How does this portrait's style compare to other images of Harrison from earlier in his life?
  • Why would a painter be commissioned to paint a candidate during a campaign year?

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.

More William Henry Harrison sources

Meet the AI William Henry Harrison →
Speech

Primary source

Inaugural Address of William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison · 4 March 1841

Handwritten copy of a letter from the War Department dated July 15, 1809, addressed to His Excellency Wm. H. Harrison. It instructs him on negotiating the extinguishment of Indian title to lands east of the Wabash, referencing the Treaties of Fort Wayne and Grouseland, and states terms for compensation, chiefs' presence, installments, and expenses. Ink on cream paper.Document

Primary source

Treaty of Fort Wayne

1809

Black and white lithograph of a log cabin with an American flag reading Harrison and Tyler, a chimney smoking, a barrel of cider outside, and a coonskin on the wall. A man in a top hat stands with a cane and dog beside a younger man in a doorway. Trees and a river are in the background.Painting

Primary source

Harrison at cabin on North Bend of Ohio

Thomas Sinclair · 1840

Printed broadside of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, titled 'An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio.' Dense block of small black printed text in paragraphs on a light paper, with the heading in large capital letters at top.Document

Primary source

Northwest Ordinance

Confederation Congress · 13 July 1787

Oil portrait of a man with brown hair, turned three-quarters to the left, wearing a dark navy military coat with gold embroidered laurel-leaf trim, gold epaulettes, and a high white collar with a dark stock. He holds a gold-hilted sword with arms crossed against a cloudy sky.Painting

Primary source

William Henry Harrison

Rembrandt Peale · 1813

Ready when you are

Start chatting with William Henry Harrison now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions