Featured The Life and Presidency of Herbert Hoover
The 2016 White House Christmas ornament honors the administration of the thirty-first president of the United States Herbert Hoover, who served...
The Splendid Mrs. Madison by Peter Waddell
- Artist
- Peter Waddell
- Date of Work
- 2012
- Medium
- Oil
- Type
- Historical Depiction
- Credit
- Peter Waddell for the White House Historical Association
The Splendid Mrs. Madison by Peter Waddell
In the Elliptical Saloon, 1810-1814. Peter Waddell, The Splendid Mrs. Madison, oil on canvas, 48 x 60.
In his 2012 painting of a Madison levee, artist Peter Waddell combined puzzle-like a mass of details. Memoirs, private letters, household papers, and surviving artifacts such as costumes bring to life his interpretation of the oval saloon—today’s Blue Room—as it might have appeared at one of Dolley Madison’s lamplit receptions.
The object of these occasions, for all the fun they provided, was pure business. Rival political factions had heretofore boiled separately in local taverns, where the lawmakers lived. They swarmed to the White House levees and behaved themselves commendably in the presence of gracious women and colleagues who, but for politics, could be their friends.
Waddell’s painting—oil on canvas—shows the very large scale of the White House compared to other American houses. Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s designs were carried out in the plate mirror, with its playful frame, and in mirrored alcoves (those flanking the hall doorway) that reflected the south-facing windows across the room. Red velvet drapery, made in Georgetown by Mary Sweeney, pleased Mrs. Madison but were considered gaudy by Latrobe—although the red velvet was all he could procure in large yardage on short notice.
The handsome naval officer, Stephen Decatur, stands center, talking to Dolley Madison in pink. Other guests include local gentry from the district, Maryland, and Virginia and a mix of congressmen and senators. One can imagine the awe and delight the hardworking members found in such genteel surroundings. One of the roles of the White House through time has been to make guests feel on top of the world.
You Might Also Like
-
-
Splendor and Scrutiny of White House Tableware
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau attended a State Dinner at the White House o...
-
Sicilian Salvador Catalano
Few people today know the story of a Sicilian-born sailor named Salvadore Catalano who became an early American naval hero....
-
Commodore Stephen Decatur: An Early American Naval War Hero
In President Theodore Roosevelt’s description of the capture of the HMS Macedonian by the USS United States in his 1882 bo...
-
John and Abigail Adams: A Tradition Begins
John and Abigail Adams had a wealth of experience in establishing and living in official houses prior to their move...
-
A Prominent Early White House Neighbor
When Commodore Stephen Decatur and his wife, Susan, moved into their new three story brick home across from the White...
-
Official White House China: From the 18th to the 21st Centuries
The house in which the President of the United States lives has always had a great fascination for American citizens...
-
History in White House Silver
One of the most interesting collections of silver of which this country can boast is at the White House. I...
-
Nell Arthur's Memorial Window
Stained glass, a medieval art, was revisited in the historically retrospective nineteenth century. The art was a prominent feature of...
-
Abraham Lincoln's White House
On a hot summer day in August 1864, Abraham Lincoln strolled from his Second-Floor office to the lawn outside the Executive...
-
Mrs. Nixon and the White House Collection
When President and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon took residence at the White House in 1969, the wear and tear of thousands...
-
Rescue of the Papers of State During the Burning of Washington
In August 1814, British forces occupying the Chesapeake Bay began to sail up the Patuxent River in Maryland. Fearing an attack...