Dolley Madison

Artist: Gilbert Stuart
Date of Work: 1804
Medium: Oil
Type: Portrait
Credit: White House Collection/White House Historical Association

Portrait of Dolley Payne Madison by Gilbert Stuart in 1804; Oil on canvas, 29 x 24 inches. Gift of the Walter H. & Phyllis J. Shorenstein Foundation in memory of Phyllis J. Shorenstein

This portrait of Dolley Payne Madison was painted by renowned artist Gilbert Stuart in 1804. At the time, the future first lady often acted as White House hostess for Thomas Jefferson, while her husband James Madison served as Jefferson's secretary of state. Madison served as

president from March 4, 1809 until March 4, 1817, and Mrs. Madison is most famously known for saving the portrait of George Washington from the White House before it was burned by the British during the War of 1812. Both of the Madisons sat for Stuart during his 18-month stay in Washington, D.C., when his services were in constant demand. Mrs. Madison's portrait first hung alongside her husband's at their Virginia estate, Montpelier, and officially became part of the White House collection in 1994.