America'S Presidents - Second Edition

A striking collection of presidential portraits from the National Portrait Gallery, this volume encapsulates the spirit of the most powerful office in the world.

America''s Presidents showcases the nation''s largest collection of portraits of all the presidents beyond the White House''s own, capturing the permanent exhibition that lies at the heart of the Portrait Gallery''s mission to tell the American story through the individuals who have shaped it.

The book explores presidential imagery through portraits ranging from the traditional, such as the iconic and newly restored "Lansdowne" portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, to the contemporary, such as Elaine de Kooning''s colorful depiction of John F. Kennedy. Many of the featured portraits reveal much about the sitter, such as the intimate rendering of an informal George W. Bush by Robert Anderson and the fanciful, mosaic-like Chuck Close image of Bill Clinton. Some tell us more about the artist