Harry S. Truman-Greta Kempton papers in the Archives of American Art

HARRY S. TRUMAN (1884-1972)

U.S. President 1945-1953
Selections from the Archives of American Art

Photograph of Kempton with Margaret Truman at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, (107881 bytes)

Greta Kempton (1903-1991) painted five portraits of President Harry S. Truman, as well as portraits of Mrs. Truman, their daughter Margaret, and a group portrait of the Truman family. Kempton's papers include her written recollections of various sittings, as well as photographs.

From her recollections, Kempton wrote about Truman:
"We never lacked for conversation because he took my work seriously and had a limitless curiosity about my technique. He wanted to know about colors, about the brushes used and about the work of other painters. I found him a very good subject from a painter's point of view. He had expressive blue eyes, clear-cut features and the kind of fair skin that reflects the light. When he looked at me I felt he was trying to sum me up immediately."

Photograph of Kempton with Margaret Truman at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, standing before Kempton's first portrait of Truman painted in 1948. 20.3 x 25.2 cm.

A photograph taken at the unveiling of on of Kempton's Truman portraits at the National Portrait Gallery (11980 bytes)

A photograph taken at the unveiling of on of her Truman portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in 1970. 17.9 x 12.6 cm.