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, 7263 in. (183.0160.0 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
7263 in. (183.0160.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Dress — accessory — hat
  • Occupation — political — president
  • Figure group
  • Dress — accessory — eye wear
  • Dress — ceremonial — academic dress
  • Occupation — law — Supreme Court justice
  • Object — written matter — Bible
  • Ceremony — civic — inauguration
Object Number
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 (1036 items)

William H. Johnson, Young Pastry Cook, ca. 1928-1930, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.693
Young Pastry Cook
Dateca. 1928-1930
oil on canvas
On view
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, For India and China, ca. 1944-1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.662
For India and China
Dateca. 1944-1945
oil on paperboard
On view

Exhibitions

Media - 1986.6.100 - SAAM-1986.6.100_2 - 135134
Modern American Realism: Highlights from the Sara Roby Foundation Collection
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.