United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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William Brockman Bankhead

Portrait painting of William Brockman Bankhead seated with his left hand resting on the arm of a chair and his right hand holding his place in a book/tiles/collection/1/1898.xml
Portrait painting of William Brockman Bankhead seated with his left hand resting on the arm of a chair and his right hand holding his place in a book
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Date

1937

Artist

Howard Chandler Christy

Dimensions

54 x 39 1/2 in. (137.2 x 100.3 cm) Framed: 62 x 47 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (157.5 x 120.7 x 6.4 cm)

Accession Number

2005.016.042

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

Earlier in his career, artist Howard Chandler Christy was best known for his illustration, particularly the fashionable, idealized “Christy Girl” of the 1910s. Later in his career, he turned increasingly to painting, and met with great success in pursuing commissions from the Capitol, including the 1937 portrait of Speaker William Bankhead. Despite the more sober subject, Christy’s work retains a painterly softness, giving Bankhead a glowing rosy complexion and softening his craggy features. Like Christy’s portrait of Speaker Henry Rainey, this work has a simple setting and a dark ground, emphasizing the illumination of the subject.

Rights and Reproduction Information

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov