Speaker Tip O’Neill’s portrait by Robert Vickrey was unveiled on December 9, 1986. Vickrey, best known for his unnerving magical-realist paintings, was highly selective in the commissioned portraits he painted, and he said that of those few, “the only portrait [he] enjoyed painting was Tip O’Neill.” Upon meeting O’Neill in person, Vickrey said, “. . . yes he was substantial, but more than his enormous size, I found him utterly charming, invariably affable . . . ” This impression is reflected in the precisely rendered, imposing figure with a glint of good humor in the expression.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Thomas Philip (Tip) O'Neill, Jr.,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2005/2005-016-047/ (April 10, 2020)
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