Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Hero Roosevelt
Artifact IDMO 2009.7
Object Type
Painting
Artist
James Britton
(American portrait artist, 1878-1936)
Date1934
Mediumcanvas, paint (oil) wood, metal
Dimensionsoverall H 42 in x W 40 1/8 in (106.7 cm x 101.9 cm )
Physical DescriptionAn oil on canvas allegorical portrait painting of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Executed mainly in hues of blue, yellow, and red, the painting depicts FDR from the thighs up, dressed in a suit of armor (representing a knight in shining armor). Clutched in his right hand is a rolled document representing the Brain Trust Report. Visible on the exterior of the rolled document are four sets of initials. Just behind FDR's head is a large, stylized image of the National Recovery Administration (NRA) Blue Eagle. In the lower right corner of the painting is a faint, shadowy portrait of an unidentified man. The painting is signed and dated by the artist in the upper left corner: Britton [in yellow paint] / 1934 [in pencil].
The reverse of the canvas, which is tacked to a wooden stretcher, is stamped with a mill mark for manufacturer Victor Claessens of Belgium.
The portrait is unframed.
Additional DetailsThe reverse of the canvas, which is tacked to a wooden stretcher, is stamped with a mill mark for manufacturer Victor Claessens of Belgium.
The portrait is unframed.
Custodial History NoteDonated to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Ursula and Barbara Britton in 2008.
Credit LineDonated by the Britton Family in memory of James Britton II and Elizabeth Roberts Britton
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPortraits (National Archives Identifier 778816)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.In Collection(s)
Not on view