Official White House Portrait of Jackie Kennedy
The White House collection includes an official portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy painted by Aaron Shikler in 1970. The oil on canvas measures 48 by 36 inches and is part of the White House Permanent Collection, which is managed by the White House Historical Association and curated by the National Park Service. The portrait shows Kennedy in a blue dress and was commissioned after her husband's presidency ended.
The work hangs in the State Floor's Vermeil Room as of the latest public White House inventory and is accessible during public tours when the room is open. The White House Collection database lists the painting under accession number 1970.1.1, and the catalog entry notes Shikler as the artist and 1970 as the completion year. The White House Historical Association provides official documentation and images through its research portal.
Artist, Commission, and Provenance
Aaron Shikler and the Commission Process
Aaron Shikler was selected by the Kennedy family to execute the portrait after a formal White House commission process. The contract followed standard federal commissioning practices for official presidential and first lady portraits, with the White House Curator's office overseeing placement and conservation. Shikler completed the work in his New York studio before delivering it to the White House.
Provenance records show the painting moved directly from the artist's studio to the White House collection in 1970 and has remained in federal custody since. Conservation reports from the White House are not publicly detailed, but standard protocols for oil paintings on canvas are applied by the institution's fine arts team. The National Park Service maintains the official custody record for the work.
Value, Market Comparisons, and Public Record
Appraised Value and Collection Context
The White House does not publicly appraise individual works in its permanent collection, but comparable official first lady portraits have sold at auction for figures in the low six figures to mid six figures depending on provenance and size. The Shikler portrait remains government property and is not available for sale, with its value recorded only in internal collection management files maintained by the White House Office of the Curator.
For background on federal art valuation standards, the Government Accountability Office publishes reports on asset management for federal collections, and the SEC oversees disclosure rules for nonprofits that receive federal grants for preservation. The White House Historical Association, a nonprofit partner, provides public access to collection data and research tools through its official website.