Three-Way Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Unidentified Native American (William McIntosh?)

Unidentified, Three-Way Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Unidentified Native American (William McIntosh?), early 19th century, oil on wood and canvas strips, 34 x 29 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ³⁄₄ in. (86.3 x 74.3 x 4.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. James E. D. Graham and Mr. Thomas E. Dashiell, 1967.90.1

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Artwork Details

Title: Three-Way Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Unidentified Native American (William McIntosh?)
Artist: Unidentified
Date: early 19th century
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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14B
Dimensions: 34 x 29 ¹⁄₄ x 1 ³⁄₄ in. (86.3 x 74.3 x 4.5 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. James E. D. Graham and Mr. Thomas E. Dashiell
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on wood and canvas strips
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Portrait male — Monroe, James — bust
Indian
Portrait male — Jefferson, Thomas — bust
Portrait male — unidentified — bust
Object Number: 1967.90.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.90.1

Artwork Description

An unknown artist combined three portraits to form this "slat" or three-way painting. He painted images of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and James Monroe (1758-1831) back-to-back, divided the canvas into thirty-six strips, and then placed the pieces vertically across a third painting. The three portraits reveal themselves one after the other as the viewer changes position. The identity of the man in the third painting is unclear, but he may be the Coweta chief William McIntosh (1785-1825), who was actively involved in issues of Native American land ownership during Monroe's presidency. By placing McIntosh at the center of the work, the artist suggested he was on equal footing with the two presidents, despite being a generation younger. (O'Malley, "The History and Conservation of an Early 19th-Century Slat Painting," presented at the WAAC annual meeting, 1992)