Inauguration

Jack Levine, Inauguration, 1956-1958, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.54
Jack Levine, Inauguration, 1956-1958, oil on canvas, 72 x 63 in. (183.0 x 160.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.54

Artwork Details

Title
Inauguration
Artist
Date
1956-1958
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
72 x 63 in. (183.0 x 160.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Ceremony — civic — inauguration
  • Object — written matter — Bible
  • Occupation — law — Supreme Court justice
  • Dress — ceremonial — academic dress
  • Dress — accessory — eye wear
  • Occupation — political — president
  • Dress — accessory — hat
  • Figure group
Object Number
1986.6.54
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.6.54

Artwork Description

Inauguration portrays the solemnity of the quadrennial ceremony in which the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administers the oath of office to the nation’s president-elect. Levine identified the presidential figure as a combination of Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower, suggesting the continuity of the American democratic process.


Modern American Realism: The Sara Roby Foundation Collection, 2014

Works by this artist (13 items)

View all artworks
Jack Levine, Untitled, 1968, color lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Atelier Mourlot Ltd., 1968.97.38
Untitled
Artist
Date1968
color lithograph
Not on view
Jack Levine, The Rabbi in His Study, n.d., etching, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.76.1
The Rabbi in His Study
Artist
Daten.d.
etching
Not on view
Jack Levine, Inauguration, 1956-1958, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.54
Inauguration
Artist
Date1956-1958
oil on canvas
Not on view
Jack Levine, Brain Trust (Conference), 1935, oil on Masonite, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Donated by Judge William G. Kocol, 1994.88
Brain Trust (Conference)
Artist
Date1935
oil on Masonite
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 1986.6.100 - SAAM-1986.6.100_2 - 135134
Modern American Realism: Highlights from the Sara Roby Foundation Collection
Smithsonian American Art Museum
This exhibition presents some of the most treasured paintings and sculpture from SAAM’s permanent collection, including artworks by Will Barnet, Isabel Bishop, Paul Cadmus, Edward Hopper, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Jacob Lawrence, George Tooker, among others.