Edmund Stuart Bittinger (born July 4, 1951), better known by Ned Bittinger, is an American

portrait painter Portrait painting is a Hierarchy of genres, genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commissio ...

and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

who is known for his paintings of prominent American figures. His notable works include the congressional portraits of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

and

Lindy Boggs Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs (March 13, 1916 – July 27, 2013) was a politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as United States Ambassador to the Holy See. She was the first woman elected to Cong ...

for the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

, as well as Secretaries of State

James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House chief of staff and 67th United States secretary ...

and

Lawrence Eagleburger Lawrence Sidney Eagleburger (August 1, 1930 – June 4, 2011) was an American statesman and career diplomat, who served briefly as the secretary of state under President George H. W. Bush from December 1992 to January 1993, one of the shortest t ...

's official

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

portraits. He has also painted official portraits of

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...

John Mica John Luigi Mica (born January 27, 1943) is an American businessman, consultant and Republican politician who represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017. He was defeated by Democrat Stephanie Murphy in the November 8, 201 ...

, and

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

, among others. Bittinger made his debut as an illustrator in 1995 with the Passover Sedar fiction children's book '' The Matzah That Papa Brought Home,'' which was met with critical acclaim and became an

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

Notable Children's Book and a Notable Book for Younger Readers from the

Sydney Taylor Book Award The Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Jewish children's literature. Medals are awarded annually for outstanding books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award was established in 1968 by the Association of Jewish L ...

. He later illustrated '' The Blue and the Gray'' (1996) ''and Rocking Horse Christmas'' (1997)'','' both of which received positive reviews from critics. In 2002, he illustrated his latest book, ''When the Root Children Wake Up,'' which is a retelling of

Sibylle Von Olfers Sibylle von Olfers (8 May 1881, Königsberg – 29 January 1916) was a German art teacher and a nun who worked as an author and illustrator of children's books. In 1906 she published her best-known work, ''The Root Children'' (original title: ...

' book, ''The Root Children,'' originally published in 1906.

Early life and education

Ned Bittinger was born in 1951 in Washington, D.C. He started painting and drawing in the third grade. When he was age thirteen, his parents sent him to the

Corcoran School of the Arts and Design The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design (known as the Corcoran School or CSAD) is the professional art school of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.Peggy McGloneUniversity names first director of Corcoran School of the Arts a ...

of Washington, D.C. He attended

Landon School Landon School is a private, college preparatory school for boys in grades 3–12, with an enrollment of approximately 710 students, in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Background Paul Landon Banfield and his wife, Mary Lee, ...

in Bethesda, Maryland. He left to attend

Denison University Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...

in Ohio, where he received a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

. In an interview in 2017, Bittinger stated that he originally got an F grade in painting at Denison University. After graduating, Bittinger briefly got a job at a commercial arts studio. He also began to practice Transcendental Meditation and would become a teacher of the technique. At age 28, he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

Career

Bittinger has received awards and participated in many exhibitions, including an exhibition at the

Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

from 1990 to 1991. Bittinger painted two portraits for the 1994 movie ''

Guarding Tess ''Guarding Tess'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage, directed by Hugh Wilson. MacLaine plays a fictional former First Lady protected by an entourage of Secret Service agents, led by one whom she ...

'', one of

Shirley Maclaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...

and the other of her husband in the movie. In 2017 Bittinger estimated that he had painted between 400 and 500 portraits.

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln in the United States Congress by

In 2004, the

US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

commissioned Bittinger to paint the official portrait of

. The painting depicts Lincoln at a young age from when he served in the House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849. Ned Bittinger worked from photographs of Lincoln's time in Congress as well as historic images of the House Chamber. The setting includes the

John Vanderlyn John Vanderlyn (October 18, 1775September 23, 1852) was an American painter. Early life and education Vanderlyn was born at Kingston in the Province of New York in British America, the grandson of colonial portrait painter Pieter Vanderlyn. ...

portrait of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, furniture designed by Thomas Constantine, and many details of the House Chamber's appearance in the 1840s, including the red drapery. Lincoln is depicted sitting at his desk in the old Hall of the House, now called

National Statuary Hall The National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the ...

. The painting is part of a series of 21st-century portraits depicting noteworthy former members of Congress commissioned by the House of Representatives. The painting has been featured in many articles including on

Cracked.com Cracked.com is an American website that was based on ''Cracked'' magazine. It was founded in 2005 by Jack O'Brien.Axon, SamuelStreamy Awards 2010: Here Are the Winners ''Mashable''. April 11, 2010. In 2007, Cracked had a couple of hundred thou ...

and ''

The Imaginative Conservative ''The Imaginative Conservative'' (''TIC'') is an American online conservative journal, founded in 2010. History The co-founders of ''TIC'' were Bradley J. Birzer, the holder of the Russell Amos Kirk chair in American Studies at Hillsdale Colleg ...

''.

Lawrence Eagleburger Official Oil Portrait by Ned Bittinger

Portrait of Lindy Boggs

On September 27, 2004, the portrait of

was unveiled at the Capitol. The portrait includes a small replica of the Car of History clock which has been present in the Old House Chamber since 1819. This clock was included to show Bogg's love for history and commemorate the Commission of the United States House of Representatives Bicentenary, which she chaired. The portrait hangs in the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room in the

US Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

adjacent to

Statuary Hall The National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the ...

Henry Kissinger

In 2005, Bittinger was commissioned the paint a portrait of

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

for the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...

. "They usher me in, and he looks at me 'who are you' and I say I'm here to paint your portrait, and then I had to pull out this midlevel garb." The portrait Depicts Kissinger with his Chancellor robes and chain. Kissinger reportedly objected to using the hat and asked Bittinger to not include it. Bittinger spent the day in Kissinger's office sketching him from life. In a 2017 interview, Bittinger stated that he had also painted Kissinger's dogs at Kissinger's home in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Ohio Speakers' Portraits

In 2017, the

Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse is the List of state and territorial capitols in the United States, state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, ...

commissioned seven speakers' portraits with three painted by Bittinger, three by Daniel Greene, and one by Leslie Adams. The portraits were unveiled in a ceremony in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on May 23, 2017. “The seven portraits broaden the scope and artistic diversity of the Ohio Statehouse’s art collection instantly. These works of art will inspire and educate future leaders of Ohio for generations to come,” said The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board executive director, Laura Battocletti.

Books

Bittinger first became interested in illustrating children's books after reading an article about

Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and '' The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he al ...

. He then wrote and illustrated a children's book and sent it to two publishers. Both of the publishers liked his illustrations but did not like the story. It took a year before Bittinger got a call from Scholastic to illustrate '' The Matzah that Papa Brought Home'' written by Fran Manushkin. The book was well received by critics and received a starred review from ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

''. The book ended up selling over 50 thousand copies and became an

Notable Children's Book and Notable Book for Younger Readers from the

. An article in Albemarle Magazine stated that Manushkin was at first unhappy with his first set of paintings Bittinger created because of his lack of originality. Bittinger painted a second set of paintings for the book spending months on the project, and making a plaster cast of the father in the story so he could make a more accurate profile. In 1997 Bittinger illustrated '' Rocking Horse Christmas'' written by

Mary Pope Osborne Mary Pope Osborne (born May 20, 1949) is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the ''Magic Tree House'' series, which sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Os ...

, which had a positive reaction from the critics. He spent six months on preliminary drawings and then the paintings for the book. He has also illustrated ''When the Root Children Wake Up'', a retelling of

' book, ''The Root Children,'' originally published in 1906; and '' The Blue and the Gray'' written by

Eve Bunting Eve Bjørgum Bunting (née Bolton, December 19, 1928 – October 1, 2023), better known as Eve Bunting, was a Northern Irish-born American writer of more than 250 books. Her work covered a broad array of subjects and included fiction and non-fic ...

which received the "Hoosier Young Readers' Award" from the children of Indiana and the "Teachers' Choice Award" from The International Readers Association. Upon release, ''When the Root Children Wake Up'' (2002)'','' written by

Audrey Wood Audrey Wood (born August 12, 1948) is an American children's author. She is known as the author of ''The Napping House'', which, as of 2015, has sold over 2.1 million copies worldwide. Wood resides in Santa Barbara, California. Biography ...

, received mixed reviews with ''

'' criticizing Wood's words calling them "slightly forced" while also calling Bittinger's illustrations "a laudable effort, but one that's ultimately less than the sum of its parts." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' called both the words and images "quite charming", while also pointing out the difference between Wood's story and the original by Olfers, "Wood’s tale changes the Root Children’s activities from work to play—not a bad thing, but a definite difference."

Personal life

Bittinger and his wife at the time, Mary, moved out of D.C. to

Rappahannock County, Virginia Rappahannock County is a county (United States), county located in the northern Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, US, adjacent to Shenandoah National Park. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 7,3 ...

. They later divorced and Bittinger moved out west. In a 2017 interview, he explained "It was a neighbor across the street who said, 'Why don't you move to

Taos Taos or TAOS may refer to: Places * Taos County, New Mexico, United States ** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico *** Taos art colony, an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico ** Taos Pueblo, a Native American ...

' and I said what the hell is Taos." Bittinger instead decided to move to Santa Fe where he has remained. In the same interview, he stated he has an 11-year-old son.

Bibliography

* '' The Matzah That Papa Brought Home'' by Fran Manushkin. Scholastic, 1995. * '' The Blue and the Gray'' by

. Scholastic, 1996. * '' Rocking Horse Christmas'' by

. Scholastic, 1997. * ''When the Root Children Wake Up'' by

. Scholastic, 2002.

Notable commissions

* Lloyd Elliott,

President of The George Washington University The president of the George Washington University is the chief executive officer of the George Washington University, appointed by the GW Board of Trustees and charged "to establish the university's vision, oversee its teaching and research missio ...

Elliott School of International Affairs The Elliott School of International Affairs (known as the Elliott School or ESIA) is the professional school of international relations, foreign policy, and international development of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. It is ...

, 1988 * Gen. Carl Vuono, Chief of Staff of the Army 1991 *

, Secretary of State,

US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

, Washington, D.C., 1994 * Gen. Gordon Sullivan, Chief of Staff of the Army 1994 * Carol Joyce Gray, First Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 1994 *

, Secretary of State, US State Department, Washington, D.C., 1995 * ''

'', Official portrait for the

, 2004 * ''

'', Congresswoman, Louisiana, 1973–1991, the portrait hangs in the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room,

, Wash., D.C. 2004 *

, Former Sec. of State,

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public university, public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III of England, William III and Queen ...

, 2005 * Jack S. Griswold, President,

Maryland Historical Society The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), formerly the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS), founded on March 1, 1844, is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. state of Maryland. The organization "collects, preserves, and interpr ...

, 2005 * Stanard T. Klinefelter, President,

, 2005 *

, former

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

* Chief Justice Barker, Hamilton County Courthouse, Chattanooga, TN, 2010 *

, US Congressman from Florida, US House of Representatives, 2012 * Judge Roger W. Titus, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 2014 * Lee Yeakel, United States District Judge, 2017 *

Jon A. Husted Jon Allen Husted ( ; born August 25, 1967) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Ohio since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, Husted served as the 66th lieutenant governor of Ohio from 2019 to 2025 and ...

, House Speaker of Ohio,

, Columbus, OH, 2017 * Charles Kurfess, House Speaker of Ohio, Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, OH, 2017 * A. G. Lancione, House Speaker of Ohio, Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, OH, 2017 * Kim Schatzel, President,

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its foundin ...

, 2017 *

Gregory Swanson Gregory Hayes Swanson, LL.B, A.B., (born 1924 – July 26, 1992) was an American lawyer who was the first African American to attend the University of Virginia. Biography Swanson graduated from Howard University in 1945 with a Bachelor's degr ...

, First African American to attend the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

, 2018

Awards

* 2003 Honors Award for Portraiture,

Portrait Society of America Portrait Society of America is an art organization based in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. Established in 1998, the Portrait Society of America is a 501(C)3 registered charity was set to serve the purpose of an art education organization t ...

* 2004 Honors Award for Portraiture, Portrait Society of America * 2006 The Certificate of Merit, Portrait Society of America * 2007 Certificate of Excellence, Portrait Society of America * 2022 1st Place Commissioned Portrait, Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America * 2023 Signature Status, Portrait Society of America * 2023 Finalist Commissioned Portrait, Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America * 2023 Finalist Non-Commissioned Portrait, Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America * 2023 Finalist Outside the Box, Members Only Competition, Portrait Society of America

References

External links

* https://archive.org/details/RG0044_s013_c024_f008/page/n37/mode/2up * https://www.ronwhitmorelive.com/art-fusion-radio.html * https://archive.org/details/directoryofameri0000unse_v7d5/page/683/mode/2up?q=Ned+Bittinger {{DEFAULTSORT:Bittinger, Ned 1951 births Living people American children's book illustrators George Washington University alumni Denison University alumni Painters from Washington, D.C. American portrait painters American male painters 21st-century American painters 20th-century American painters 21st-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists Corcoran School of the Arts and Design alumni Painters from Santa Fe, New Mexico Artists from Washington, D.C.