April 12 History: President Dies Mid-Portrait Painting

The intersection of art and history is captured in the haunting legacy of an unfinished watercolor portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a work that remains a poignant record of the leader’s final moments.

On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait at his personal retreat, known as the Little White House, in Warm Springs, Georgia. The artist commissioned for the work was Elizabeth Shoumatoff.

The Final Sitting

The session began around noon on April 12, 1945. While sitting for the portrait and signing papers, Roosevelt suddenly complained of a terrific headache and raised his hand to his head.

Following this remark, the president slumped forward and lost consciousness. He had suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

Medical records from the FDR Library Virtual Tour indicate that approximately 15 minutes after the hemorrhage, Roosevelt’s arterial tension was measured at a diastolic of 190 and a systolic of well over 300. He was pronounced dead at 3:35 PM that day.

The Artistic Process and Legacy

The commission for the portrait originated in 1943 through Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, a friend of Shoumatoff and a mistress of the president. Rutherfurd believed Shoumatoff could capture Roosevelt’s true expression and remarkable face in a way other paintings had not.

Shoumatoff initially described herself as being trapped into something I had neither wished for nor planned, though she later noted she could not decline the honor of a presidential commission.

Because of the president’s sudden death, the original watercolor remained unfinished. However, Shoumatoff later produced a second, completed version of the portrait from memory. This second painting is described as being largely identical to the first.

Both the unfinished and the completed portraits are now displayed side-by-side at the home in Warm Springs, Georgia, where the president died.

Historical Context of the Death

Roosevelt’s death occurred just 83 days into his historic fourth term. His health had been a closely guarded secret for decades, and few Americans were aware that he used a wheelchair due to what was believed to be polio.

The suddenness of his passing stunned the nation, particularly as victory in World War II appeared imminent. The transition of power was immediate; Harry Truman, who had only recently replaced Henry Wallace as vice president, was sworn in as president later that evening on April 12, 1945.

The emotional weight of the transition was highlighted by an exchange between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Truman. When Truman asked if there was anything he could do for her, Eleanor Roosevelt responded: Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now!

Funeral and Final Resting Place

Following his death, Roosevelt’s body was transported by train to Washington D.C., where he received full military honors in a procession to the White House. A private Episcopal Funeral Service was held in the East Room at 4:00 PM.

The casket was later moved by train to his home in Hyde Park. He was carried up the hill to the estate by a horse-drawn gun carriage, preceded by a military band and West Point cadets. President Truman and the Roosevelt family followed in limousines.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was buried in the Rose Garden at Hyde Park, where the ceremony concluded with three volleys fired over the grave and the sounding of taps.