This portrait of Theodore Roosevelt was painted by renowned artist John Singer Sargent in 1903. Architect Charles McKim, who oversaw major renovations to the White House occurring at the time, invited Sargent to paint Roosevelt's portrait. Though the artist later complained that Roosevelt would agree to only short sittings, the president was very pleased with the end result. On February 19 he wrote in a letter to his son Kermit, noting that "This afternoon I had my last sitting with Mr. Sargent. I like his picture enormously." A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley, on September 14, 1901 and served until March 4, 1909.