In Memoriam: J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) Portrait Goes on Display

"An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's." —J.D. Salinger

1961 Portrait of J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) by Robert Vickrey, tempera on board. [Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine. Art © Robert Vickrey/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.]

WASHINGTON D.C. — J.D. Salinger (1919-2010), the famous reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, died Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the age of 91.

On Monday, in a gesture of remembrance, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery installed a portrait of the author in a first-floor gallery designated to recently deceased individuals represented in the museum’s collection.

The portrait of Salinger was painted by American Contemporary Realist Robert Vickery. The artist used the ancient medium of tempera to depict Salinger against a metaphorical "amber wave of grain."

Vickery's image of the author first appeared on a 1961 cover of Time magazine. Time later donated the portrait to the Smithsonian in 1978; it hasn’t been on display since 1979.

[Source: Smithsonian Institution] 
______

In Memoriam: J.D. Salinger (1919-2010) Portrait Goes on Display

Princes William and Harry's First Double Portrait Painting Unveiled

Jan. 6, 2010: The first double portrait painting of Princes William (age 27, shown standing) and Harry (age 25, seated) went on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

LONDON — The first double portrait painting of Diana's boys, Princes William and Harry, officially went on display Wednesday at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

British artist Nicola "Nicky" Philipps was commissioned to depict the brothers in their official context but said she also wanted to convey a human element. "I hope I have also captured some of the brotherly banter that characterized the sittings," she explained.

The Princes sat for Philipps five times over a period of six months, beginning in August 2008. The artist told the Times Online, "When they arrived for the first sitting they entertained themselves. We chatted; sometimes they would banter together. It made such a lovely scene that I picked up on that and let them. They were just two brothers chatting. They did a lot of laughing.”

The oil painting shows Prince Harry, 25, seated and in conversation with Prince William, 27, who stands in a doorway of the library of Clarence House, their official residence since 2002. Both brothers wear the military uniforms of the Household Cavalry.

"The first portrait of the princes captures them formally dressed, but informally posed," said National Portrait Gallery director Sandy Nairne. "It is a delightful image which extends the tradition of royal portraiture," she added.
______________________

Princes William and Harry's First Double Portrait Painting Unveiled