There’s a Very Clear Theme to the Art That President Biden Has Chosen for the Oval Office

When President Joe Biden sits at the Resolute Desk and lets his eye wander across the Oval Office, he’ll be able to gaze intently at Franklin D. Roosevelt. That’s because the 46th president of the United States has chosen a portrait of this specific predecessor to hang over the ornately carved mantelpiece in what’s arguably the most famous workspace in the country. The choice to center Roosevelt in the oblong room is a logical one, given that, from the Great Depression to World War II, the former chief executive faced a considerable number of crises during his time in the White House. Biden, the Washington Post notes, is now up against uniquely staggering challenges—not unlike FDR. 

Yesterday, the D.C.-based paper received a tour of the newly decorated Oval Office, not long before Biden’s own arrival. And while the decor elements were notable (same gold curtains used by presidents Trump and Clinton; same blue rug chosen by Clinton), the art was arguably the linchpin of the story. After all, while the Bidens may not have chosen a decorator, they do have access to an in-house White House curator.

Roosevelt is in fact one of many portraits that President Biden has chosen to adorn the Oval Office. On painted canvases and in sculptural forms, these works make up the clear artistic theme that runs through the space. On a table behind the Resolute Desk that’s covered with framed photographs of the Biden family, a bust of César Chávez gazes down slightly to the right. Elsewhere, busts of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Union-defending senator Daniel Webster can be seen. There’s also a sculpture of an Chiricahua Apache individual riding a horse, as well as a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, in an apparent nod to Biden’s interest in science.

As for the other paintings that can be seen in the room, former presidents are strongly represented. Notably, framed renderings of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are hung on the gold-tinged wallpaper, while a portrait of Andrew Jackson has been removed. That work, which was included at the behest of President Trump, drew outcry from many thanks in part to the fact that Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which resulted in thousands of Native American deaths. As the Biden administration has made clear through its words and actions—and now, through its art choices—working to include all people within our nation regardless of race or ethnicity will be a central and continuing area of focus.