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
  • Occupation — political — president
  • Dress — accessory — eye wear
  • Ceremony — civic — inauguration
  • Dress — ceremonial — academic dress
  • Occupation — law — Supreme Court justice
  • Object — written matter — Bible
  • Figure group
  • Dress — accessory — hat
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
Image Not Available
Light of the World
Artist
Daten.d.
charcoal on paper
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
Jack Levine, Vernissage, 1967, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lynn and John Minna, 1981.164.2
Vernissage
Artist
Date1967
lithograph on paper
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.