Governor Edwin B. Winans
(1891-1893)

1893
Painted by Lewis T. Ives
Oil on Canvas

This portrait of Governor Edwin Winans by artist Lewis T. Ives is painted in a traditional style. Winans is pictured at half length, with one hand tucked behind his back and the other resting on a book atop the desk beside him. He gazes ahead but appears to be looking past the viewer. Winans’ face is naturalistic, and it shows signs of age. His large mustache and hair, painted in gray and white, are idealized in the sense that Ives has simplified the hair slightly for a cleaner look.

The background of this piece is dark; though the bottom right corner is painted in a deep red shade, the area behind the governor’s head is entirely black. This, paired with the bright white of the man’s shirt and collar, draws the viewer’s eye to Winans’ face. An unidentified light source highlights the desk beside the governor, as well as his right arm. The carving of a lion’s head on the front of the desk suggests that the piece is of the Renaissance Revival style, one of several furniture styles prominent throughout the Capitol building.