Portraits
The State Capitol building houses portraits of California governors and other prominent American leaders. Learn more about the story of California by meeting the figures who helped shape the Golden State’s history, development, and culture.
Presidential Portraits
George Washington
Proudly hanging above the raised platform, or dais, in the Senate Chambers is a painting of George Washington, one of our nation’s founding fathers and most respected leaders. This painting is a copy of the famous Munro-Lenox Portrait by Gilbert Stuart, likely painted by the artist’s daughter, Jane Stuart, in the mid-nineteenth century. According to legend, this iteration of President Washington’s portrait narrowly escaped a great fire that occurred in 1845 – the very same year it was presented to the Senate – at the Capitol’s temporary home at the Sacramento County Courthouse.
Abraham Lincoln
Since 1909, another notable American figure has presided over state lawmakers. A portrait of Abraham Lincoln, painted by William Cogswell, overlooks the Assembly Chambers. President Lincoln’s portrait replaced an 1855 portrait of John Sutter, painted by California’s first portrait painter, William Smith Jewett.
Governor’s Portraits
The tradition of commissioning California’s gubernatorial portraits began in 1879, when artist William Cogswell was selected to paint portraits of several former governors. In 1931, a section was added to the Government Code to allocate funds towards the production of gubernatorial portraits.
Each governor may commission an artist of their choosing to paint their portrait after they have retired from office. While it is customary that the portrait reflects its governor’s individual personality, there are basic standards that artists must adhere to. In addition to being oil-based, framed, and hung in appropriate spaces within the building, the appearance of the portrait should be in harmony with the demeanor of the Capitol. Furthermore, the style of the frame, as well as the size of the portrait, should be in keeping with its predecessors.
These standards were not enough to prevent some portraits from causing a stir. In 1947, Governor C. C. Young broke with the custom of portraying a serious pose by having the artist, Hans Meyer Kasell, paint him outdoors and smiling. In 1984, artist Don Bachardy painted Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr. in a more abstract style – a departure from the established realism of his forerunners.
Earlier governors are represented in portraits throughout the Capitol’s hallways and museum rooms. Try to locate all of the portraits in the Capitol virtual tours!
You can also view the Governors’ Portraits below or view the Governors’ gallery at the California State Library.