Steven Polson
Steven Polson (born 1962) is an American portrait painter.[1] He has painted the portraits of numerous United States government officials such as Madeleine Albright, General Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice.[1]
He has won numerous awards for his painting, including The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant[2] and The Allied Artists of America Gold Medal of Honor.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Polson was born in New York City.[1] At age 16, Polson began study of portrait and figure painting at the Art Student's League of New York[4] under Daniel E. Greene. In 1984, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement for Science and Art. [5]
Careers
[edit]Polson has taught drawing and painting at the Art Student's League of New York, National Academy of Design[6] the Pratt Institute[7] and privately at his studio.
He has been commissioned to paint the portraits of United States government officials including former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld; former commerce secretary Ron Brown; former energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson; and former EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman.[8]
His portraits are in the collections of Harvard University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Brown University, Tsinghua University, U.S. Capitol, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S., Departments of State, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Defense, Home of the Commandants, Central Intelligence Agency and Carnegie Museum of Art among many others.[9]
Notable subjects
[edit]Portraits which Polson has painted include:[9]
- Madeleine Albright
- Hillary R. Clinton
- John F. Kerry
- John Mack
- Leon Panetta
- Colin Powell
- Condoleezza Rice
- Robert Rubin
- Donald Rumsfeld
- Stephen Schwarzman
- Ruth Simmons
- Lawrence Summers
- George Tenet
- General James Jones
- Susan Hockfield
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Steven Polson". Portrait Collection, Chesney Archives. Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation". grants-bourses.elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation.org. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "2024 ANNUAL PROSPECTUS". AAAMainCopy2020 Copy. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Home | Art Students League". www.artstudentsleague.org. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Welcome". The Cooper Union. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "NAD". nationalacademy.org. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Homepage". Pratt Institute. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Christopher (October 21, 2008). "Official Portraits Draw Skeptical Gaze; Cost to Taxpayers Varies but Can Reach Nearly $50,000". The Washington Post. ProQuest 410241120. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "Collections". Steven Polson. Retrieved May 13, 2025.