David E. Finley
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of W. Bedford Moore
Accession Number
NPG.77.231
Tags
About this artwork
The sitterâs nephew, W. Bedford Moore, III, Charlottesville, Va.; gift 1977 to NPG
Art Historical Context
**David E. Finley** is a compelling portrait by American artist Augustus Vincent Tack (18701949), capturing the distinguished likeness of David Edward Finley, a prominent lawyer and pioneering art museum director. Finley who served as the first director of the National of Art from 193 to 1964, played a pivotal role in shaping of Washington's cultural landmarks during a transformative era in American arts patronage. Tack's undated painting, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection (with credit to the National Portrait Gallery), offers a window into Finley's professional wo...