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Artist Charles Williams was criticized for making this portrait's subject, Chairman Swagar Sherley, too boyish for the heavy responsibilities of the Appropriations Committee. Other images indicate that Sherley was indeed youthful in appearance, and his single term as Chairman did not appear to age him. Williams, like Sherley a native of Louisville, Kentucky, likely had ample time to observe Sherley in their relatively small community. After graduation from the Allan-Fraser Art College in Scotland in 1905 and travel around Europe, Williams returned to Louisville, where he established himself as a sought-after portraitist.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Joseph Swagar Sherley,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2002/2002-006-016/ (November 04, 2026)
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