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A Bird That Whistles: In Jefferson's Cabinet, 1803

This oil on canvas painting by Peter Waddell was completed around 2008. President Thomas Jeffersons office in the southwest corner of the house, today known as the State Dining Room, was his private sanctuary that few visitors ever saw, but where he worked with his private secretary, Meriwether Lewis, who would later lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was here that Jefferson enjoyed his many intellectual interests, including geography, plants, architecture, and animals. He kept a mockingbird as a pet, which would regale him with its sweetest notes. ***Interior use only for publications***
Artist
Peter Waddell
Date of Work
ca. 2008
Medium
oil paint, canvas
Type
Painting
Credit
Peter Waddell for the White House Historical Association
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