This charcoal portrait of John F. Kennedy by Pietro Annigoni hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
John F. Kennedy was deemed “Man of the Year” by Time magazine in 1962, and this sketch was a preparatory drawing for the issue's cover. The artist, Pietro Annigoni, made work that Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994) admired, but the resulting portrait with Mr. Kennedy unsmiling, necktie askew and mussed hair was a disappointment. The president suffered even more when his daughter Caroline wondered, “Daddy, where did you get those spooky eyes?” Annigoni, who was known for his realistic approach, reported that Mr. Kennedy “didn't smile, very much when I was there.” In response to the criticism that he had portrayed him with asymmetric pupils, he said, “He is cross-eyed!".
Kennedy, who was a master with press conferences and with live television, was shocked by the unflattering image in the drawing and by the finished result on the cover of Time. After this experience, he became more selective about which journalists and artists he would work with.
Jacqueline Kennedy
The resultant Time Magazine Cover is available on Ebay for $28.00.
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