"The most visited gallery of the National Portrait Gallery is the Hall of Presidents, the collection of portraits of America's elected leaders. More than a visual record of holders of power, these images evoke the careers and legacies of the men they portray." "An authoritative text by Frederick Voss illuminates the pictures, offering a concise history of each President and telling how each portrait came to be made. Included in this book are images of every American President, from Gilbert Stuart's famous depiction of George Washington, to Elaine de Kooning's John F. Kennedy and Norman Rockwell's Richard Nixon, and concluding with Chuck Close's photographic portrait of Bill Clinton."--BOOK JACKET.