United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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Henry Thomas Rainey

Henry Thomas Rainey/tiles/collection/1/1897.xml
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Date

1935

Artist

Howard Chandler Christy

Dimensions

57 x 39 in. (144.8 x 99.1 cm) Framed: 62 7/8 x 45 1/8 in. (159.7 x 114.6 cm)

Accession Number

2005.016.040

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

The commission of Henry Rainey’s posthumous Speaker portrait took an unusual turn. Rather than choosing an artist, a competition was held. Of over 16 entries, four artists believed that they had the winning painting. The press blamed this predicament on the Speaker’s widow, who was said to be too kind-hearted to refuse any of the four finalists. The work by Howard Chandler Christy, a renowned portrait artist and illustrator, was finally chosen in 1936, two years after Rainey’s death. The Speaker, often remarked upon for his impressive height and voluminous white hair, is shown in his home library, wearing his trademark necktie.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov