"Work hard, respect the past, and approach everything with honesty and integrity."
- Everett Raymond Kinstler
We mourn the loss of artist and dear friend Everett Raymond Kinstler. Born in 1926, Kinstler was one of the preeminent portraitists of his generation and a devoted supporter of the arts.
Katharine Hepburn, Collection of the actress, oil on canvas
Tom Wolfe, collection of Everett Raymond Kinstler, oil on canvas
Kinstler was a native New Yorker who began his career at age 16 drawing comic books and went on to illustrate hundreds of books and magazines. He studied at the Art Students League, where he later taught from 1969 to 1974. As part of the "Golden Age" of comic book artists, his illustrations influenced the Pop Art school. Realizing that painting people was what he enjoyed most, Kinstler ultimately made the transition to portraitist and accepted his first commission in the 1950s from Portraits, Inc., who would continue to represent him for nearly 70 years.
Kinstler quickly established himself as one of the nation's foremost portrait painters. His more than 2,500 portrait subjects included some 50 U.S. cabinet members, seven presidents (including two official White House portraits), first ladies, university presidents, business leaders, authors, and famous Hollywood personalities. The National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., has acquired more than 100 of Kinstler's original works for its permanent collection, and his work is also represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Butler Institute of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum, among others. Kinstler was the recipient of sundry honors, including the Copley Medal from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 1999 and honorary doctorates from Rollins College and the Lyme Academy College of Art. He died on May 26, 2019, after a brief illness. Ever the dedicated artist, he had completed his last portrait commission with Portraits, Inc. just two days prior to entering the hospital.
We will continue to honor his memory with our annual Everett Raymond Kinstler Scholarship. It was our great honor to represent him for nearly 70 years and we will miss him greatly.
Rudolph Giuliani, Mayor of New York City, oil on canvas
Private collection, oil on canvas
President Ronald Reagan, Official White House Portrait, oil on canvas