This portrait of Thomas Jefferson was painted by John Trumbull in 1788, in the wake of the American Revolution and just before George Washington became the first president of the United States. Trumbull originally  visited Jefferson in Paris, where he served as minster to France, and  painted his portrait directly into a painting depicting the signing of  the Declaration of Independence. Trumbull copied this individual  portrait from that painting. This portrait was later part of the  National Gallery of Art's June 5-September 6, 1976 exhibition, The Eye  of Thomas Jefferson, and was then given to the White House Collection as a bicentennial gift by the Italian government. The author of the  Declaration of Independence, Jefferson served as president from March 4, 1801 until March 4, 1809.