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Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
Peter Hurd, 22 Feb 1904 - 9 Jul 1984
Sitter
Duke Ellington, 29 Apr 1899 - 24 May 1974
Date
1956
Type
Painting
Medium
Tempera on board
Dimensions
Board: 48.3 x 34.3cm (19 x 13 1/2")
Frame: 65.4 x 51.8 x 3.8cm (25 3/4 x 20 3/8 x 1 1/2")
Topic
Music\Musical instrument\Piano
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Home Furnishings\Curtain
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie
Duke Ellington: Male
Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer
Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist
Duke Ellington: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz musician
Duke Ellington: Presidential Medal of Freedom
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Peter Hurd
Object number
NPG.78.TC353
Exhibition Label
Born Washington, D.C.
In the first rank of American composers, Duke Ellington was—to use a favorite phrase of his own—“beyond category.” He produced what has been called the “single most impressive body of composition in American jazz”: more than two thousand compositions that ranged from such popular classics as “Satin Doll” and “Sophisticated Lady” to extended works such as Black, Brown and Beige, which premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1943. Ellington continually expanded his work as a composer and bandleader, composing for Broadway (Beggar’s Opera) and Hollywood (including the film score for Anatomy of a Murder); undertaking extensive international tours; and working with younger jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. He received the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for his long-term achievement and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.
En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view