A Look Back at Our All-Time Favorite First Lady Portraits Adorning the White House

Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday afternoon, is one of many first ladies who used their platform to leave a mark on the world. In her honor, we revisit all the official first lady portraits that still give us chills

Michelle Obama

Tenure: 2009-2017

President: Barack Obama

Portrait Artist: Sharon Sprung

Date: 2018

The latest first lady portrait to join the White House collection is also the most colorful, featuring Michelle Obama in a celestial blue silk chiffon gown designed by Jason Wu. Aside from promoting healthy programs as first lady, Michelle left a legacy of resilience, navigating relentless racist and sexist remarks (during the boom of social media, no less) and leading a masterclass in overcoming any hurdle with grace. In her portrait, she bares her famous toned arms and delivers a confident expression. Her very place on the White House walls as the first Black first lady will forever remind Americans of the progress we have made.

Jackie Kennedy

Tenure: 1961-1963

President: John F. Kennedy

Portrait Artist: Aaron Shikler

Date: 1970

The solemn nature of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's departure from the White House is clearly depicted in her official portrait. Relying on a chilling and monochromatic color scheme, the painting manages to honor her notable fashion sense and taste in decor while seeming to recognize the loneliness she faced both during and after JFK's presidency. Quite literally fading into the background, Jackie appears ghostly as she looks around the room — perhaps a creative interpretation of her tenure as first lady ending — and a wilting white rose behind her could signify the concurrent death of her marriage.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Tenure: 1933-1945

President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Portrait Artist: Douglas Chandor

Date: 1949

Of the dozens of first lady portraits hung in the White House through the years, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt's is easily the most memorable and arguably the most impactful — much like her tenure as first lady. The longest-serving person in that role, she is famous for holding her husband's political career together and writing a daily newspaper column. Her thought-provoking portrait is the only one to display multiple faces — and even more sets of hands — demonstrating just how busy and multilayered she was. One set of hands even appears to be removing a wedding ring while she gently smiles — was she relieved to be freed from her strained marriage after FDR's death, or are we reading too far into it?

Betty Ford

Tenure: 1974-1977

President: Gerald Ford

Portrait Artist: Felix de Cossio

Date: 1977

Though President Ford's presidency borders on forgettable, Elizabeth Bloomer Warren Ford's legacy as a taboo-busting first lady has been enshrined in history. Betty was thrust into the White House alongside her husband upon President Nixon's resignation, and she was ill-prepared — or more likely just unwilling — to adopt the first family's restrictive lifestyle. Though her husband led the Republican Party, she was adamant that she — and other women — should not have to frame their views around their spouses. She openly supported the Equal Rights Amendment, and helped destigmatize breast cancer, abortions, addiction, psychiatry, marijuana, premarital sex and HIV/AIDS. Her portrait memorializes the beauty she displayed as first lady, both inside and out.

Rosalynn Carter

Tenure: 1977-1981

President: Jimmy Carter

Portrait Artist: George Augusta

Date: 1984

Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter, the second-longest-lived first lady, was one of the most charitable women to roam the White House halls. Rosalynn in many ways carried on the work of the first lady before her — Betty Ford — as a vocal supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and passionate defender of mental health care reform and women's rights. The difference was Rosalynn's engagement with her husband's administration — she sat in on Cabinet meetings, briefings, and acted as Jimmy's diplomat for Latin America. An advocate for peace both domestically and around the world, her official portrait reflects her loving demeanor; and the color of her dress evokes calmness and warmheartedness, like her.

Hillary Clinton

Tenure: 1993-2001

President: Bill Clinton

Portrait Artist: Simmie Knox

Date: 2003

Hillary Rodham Clinton, once poised to become the nation's first female president, has always been a trailblazer — and one look at her official portrait clearly shows it (not to mention she and Bill were the first to commission presidential portraits from a Black artist). The only first lady to pose for the painting wearing a pantsuit, she stands tall over a side table displaying her 1996 book, It Takes a Village. Her all-black wardrobe and surrounding props send no small message, continuing a theme that traced back to her and Bill's early careers: that she is successful and intelligent on her own, and just happened to marry a man who was equally ambitious. Going on to become a U.S. senator, secretary of state and popular vote–winning presidential candidate, Hillary's portrait is something of a crystal ball. She survived a challenging eight years, and the best was yet to come.

Nellie Taft

Tenure: 1909-1913

President: William Howard Taft

Portrait Artist: Bror Kronstand

Date: 1910

Helen Herron Taft, better known as Nellie, was a first lady who easily could've done the president's job if given the opportunity. Born to a politically connected family, she and William were unstoppable once wed, leading diplomatic excursions to the Philippines, China, Japan and the Vatican. Later, as first lady, she suffered a stroke, which did little to stop her from building a reputation for hosting the best events and wearing the most graceful gowns. Nellie's greatest mark on history is bringing a piece of Asia to D.C., planting the first cherry blossom tree that still stands today. Her portrait combines elegance and nature, an apt summation of her legacy.

Barbara Bush

Tenure: 1989-1993

President: George H.W. Bush

Portrait Artist: Herbert E. Abrams

Date: 1994

The official portrait of Barbara Pierce Bush is both stately and personal, perfectly capturing her affinity for brooches, pearls and her beloved dog Millie. Known as an advocate for universal literacy, it's fitting that the kind-mannered first lady would be seated before a bookcase — and the yellow roses so often associated with Texas, where her family established roots, are a wonderful touch that paint a crystal clear portrait of the gentle flair she brought to Washington.

Laura Bush

Tenure: 2001-2009

President: George W. Bush

Portrait Artist: John Howard Sanden

Date: 2012

The most compelling part of Laura Welch Bush's official portrait is that it looks straight out of another era, despite being one of the most recent White House portraits that's been unveiled. The only giveaway that Laura is a modern-day first lady is her remarkable floor-length dress, which is all business at the top and modest gown at the bottom. The artist who painted Laura's likeness also painted her husband's, giving their dual portraits a cohesively classic appearance.

Grace Coolidge

Tenure: 1923-1929

President: Calvin Coolidge

Portrait Artist: Howard Chandler Christy

Date: ca. 1924

Grace Goodhue Coolidge is the first White House hostess to feature a dog in her portrait — her white Collie, Rob Roy (it admittedly would've been more intriguing if she posed with her family's pet raccoon) — and the finished product turned out so beautiful that decorators painted the room where it's hung a shade of red solely to complement her stunning dress. Grace was relatively uninterested in politics, supporting uncontroversial organizations like the Red Cross rather than taking political stances. Prior to marrying President Coolidge, she taught deaf children how to read lips; when Calvin passed away, she left politics behind and continued supporting the deaf community.

Frances Cleveland

Tenure: 1886-1889; 1893-1897

President: Grover Cleveland

Portrait Artist: Casimir Gregory Stapko

Date: 1952

President Cleveland first met Frances Folsom when he was 27 years old — and she was an infant. Frances was the daughter of Grover's close friend, and when she turned 21, the then-president wed her inside the White House Blue Room. To this day, Frances remains the youngest first lady, and the only one to get married inside the White House. In spite of (or perhaps because of) her youthfulness, she became an instant D.C. darling and saw unprecedented popularity among the American people. In her simplistic portrait, her age and beauty stand out.

Mary Todd Lincoln

Tenure: 1861-1865

President: Abraham Lincoln

Portrait Artist: Katherine Helm

Date: 1925

Mary Todd Lincoln was an "excitable" and "impulsive" woman, according to historians. Upon Abraham's election victory, Mary saw the White House as an opportunity for her husband's ambition, and her social life, to flourish. But things didn't go as planned, beginning with the Civil War's initiation one month into their tenure. Confederates accused Mary of being a traitor to her Southern roots, and Union citizens suspected her of treason. When her son died in 1862, she was criticized again for taking time to grieve instead of hosting events — and after Abe's assassination, her life skewed far more tragic than joyful. A long-misunderstood woman, Mary's portrait shows her complexities; all dolled up for a party, her blue eyes lack the sparkle they once had. The official portrait was painted by none other than Mary's niece.

Anna Harrison

Tenure: 1841

President: William Henry Harrison

Portrait Artist: Cornelia Stuart Cassady

Date: 1893

Anna Symmes Harrison never stepped foot inside the White House during her husband's 31-day presidency, making her one of the most unique first ladies in history. When President Harrison was sworn in, Anna — then the oldest woman to become first lady — was back on their Ohio farm facing health challenges. Anna's plan was to join William as soon as she could bear the journey, but the president came down with pneumonia soon after his inauguration and was dead exactly a month into his term. Anna never wanted her husband to leave retirement for the presidency, but she tried to be a good sport. Fortunately her grandson, Benjamin Harrison, carried on the family legacy as the 23rd U.S. president, and she went down in history as a simple but effective matriarch.

Caroline Harrison

Tenure: 1889-1892

President: Benjamin Harrison

Portrait Artist: Daniel Huntington

Date: 1894

Caroline Scott Harrison is remembered as a first lady who died inside the White House, just like her husband's grandfather one half-century earlier. Before getting tuberculosis, though, she was known for her love of music and art, and emphasized the need to renovate the White House and preserve artifacts like presidential china that she viewed as vital to the mansion's history. Caroline's stately portrait is clearly of-the-era, immortalizing an important period of American history itself.

Nancy Reagan

Tenure: 1981-1989

President: Ronald Reagan

Portrait Artist: Aaron Shikler

Date: 1987

Nancy Davis Reagan's official White House portrait harks back on her movie star days — reminding admirers of the life she and President Reagan lived before entering politics. Born Anne Frances Robbins, the two-time first lady (first of California, then of the United States) adopted the stage name Nancy Davis when she entered show business. Among other things, Nancy is remembered for her iconic style, often involving "Reagan red" gowns, making her eye-catching portrait outfit an appropriate summation of the glamorous mark she made in the nation's capital.

Edith Wilson

Tenure: 1915-1921

President: Woodrow Wilson

Portrait Artist: Adolfo Müller-Ury

Date: 1916

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson had a difficult role, assuming the position of first lady partway through President Wilson's first term — and one year after his first wife died inside the White House. Edith stepped up to the plate during World War I, organizing "gasless Sundays," "meatless Mondays" and "wheatless Wednesdays" — and coordinating for sheep to roam the White House lawn to save money on landscaping. When the president suffered a stroke in 1919 and was bedridden, she quietly ran his office and became the liaison between Wilson and his Cabinet members. Her portrait prominently displays her wedding ring, and demonstrates the blend of kindness and strength that she brought to her job as one of the world's most prominent caretakers and leaders.

Lou Hoover

Tenure: 1929-1933

President: Herbert Hoover

Portrait Artist: Richard Marsden Brown

Date: 1950

Lou Henry Hoover was as educated and multifaceted as one can become. The adventurous athlete graduated from Stanford, the only female studying geology there at the time, and learned several languages, including Mandarin Chinese and Latin. She and Herbert traveled the world together before landing in Washington, where she would twice act as the national president of the Girl Scouts and become the first wife of a U.S. president to regularly broadcast on the radio. Most interesting about Lou's portrait is how little it tells of her unbelievably active life; she appears to fade into the background, much like she has faded from Americans' consciousness over time — even as her husband's reputation prevails.

Emily Donelson

Tenure: 1829-1834

President: Andrew Jackson

Portrait Artist: Ralph E.W. Earl

Date: 1830

In the months between Andrew Jackson's election and inauguration, his wife Rachel unexpectedly died, leaving him without a first lady lined up. Emily Tennessee Donelson, Rachel's 21-year-old niece, was asked to assume the role of President Jackson's first lady and White House hostess. For a while all went well, until the president and Emily took opposing opinions on drama swirling within the Cabinet, leading to an irreparable rift that allegedly contributed to Emily's departure from the White House in 1834. Two years later, she died of tuberculosis. Emily appears childlike yet mature in her dark-toned portrait, now eerie as it shows the life of a woman plucked into high society and promptly discarded into isolation before her untimely death.

Lady Bird Johnson

Tenure: 1963-1969

President: Lyndon B. Johnson

Portrait Artist: Elizabeth Shoumatoff

Date: 1968

Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was, literally, a boss. When Lyndon suddenly became president following the assassination of President Kennedy, Lady Bird was already a millionaire herself thanks to the smart business investments she made with her father's inheritance. She quickly became a force in President Johnson's administration, breaking the norm by acquiring her own chief of staff and press secretary, and going on solo tours of the States to lobby for issues she believed in. Lady Bird's elegance and wealth is apparent in her portrait, complementing the moody D.C. aesthetic of her husband's.

Edith Roosevelt

Tenure: 1901-1909

President: Theodore Roosevelt

Portrait Artist: Théobald Chartran

Date: 1902

Just as Teddy Roosevelt is remembered for his love of parks, Edith Carow Roosevelt is remembered for her love of gardens. The first lady established a "colonial garden" outside the presidential mansion during her tenure, which would later become the White House Rose Garden. Edith's portrait shows her sitting and enjoying the fruits of her labor on an autumn day in the D.C. garden, removing herself from the confines of the White House where first ladies were known to spend their days.

Martha Washington

Tenure: 1789-1797

President: George Washington

Portrait Artist: Eliphalet Frazer Andrews

Date: 1878

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington: the first first lady. At the time of George Washington's presidency, the role of first lady was not formally defined — and historical accounts note that Martha wasn't too thrilled about entering the spotlight, believing the duties of hostess were better fit for a younger woman. But even so, she played the part well. Martha's events took a formal tone not because she liked meaningless formalities, but because she and George felt it paramount to present the infant nation as prestigious and worthy of comparing to European governments. The official portrait for Martha shows a bit of awkwardness beneath her polished exterior, accurately portraying her ability to step up as a national leader despite her preference for remaining in the shadows.

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