Existing comment:
An Artist Visits the White House Past
Paintings by Peter Waddell
Although the exterior has remained largely unaltered from its original design, the interiors of the White House have always been in a state of constant and at times dramatic change. Each new president brought his tastes and ideas about what the President's House should be. While furniture stayed for decades, decorations might have come and go [sic] with each administration. With this combination of timelessness and change, it can often be difficult to see the White House as it truly was through the eyes of its famous residents.
From its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior of the White House, the fourteen paintings of this series examine the history of a national icon. Through meticulous research and tireless attention to detail, numerous sources inspired the brush of Peter Waddell to create a vision of the White House as it was, and to gain an appreciation of the nineteenth-century house and the men and women who lived and worked within its walls.
About the Artist:
Best known for his paintings of Washington, D.C., history and architecture, Peter Waddell began his career in New Zealand where he was born in 1955. He attended the School of Fine Arts at Canterbury University and after considerable success in New Zealand as an artist, he came to Washington, D.C., in 1994 and became a United States citizen in 2002. In addition to the White House, Peter's subjects have included the Capitol, the Octagon, Mount Vernon, and other historical sites. Recent smaller works can be found on the streets of the city where Peter has been involved in the Call Box Project, placing historical images on former police and fire call boxes. His contributions to the arts in Washington, D.C., were recognized in 2010 when he received the Mayor's Art Award. Peter is artist in residence at Tudor Place in Georgetown. |