Not since Dolley Madison whisked a Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington from under the noses of the invading British has a First Lady shown such an interest in the art that hangs in the White House. Jacqueline Kennedy has not only refurbished much of the mansion (see THE NATION), but she has, with the help of a committee of connoisseurs, been scouring the country for works of art that have some connection with the White House or with U.S. history in general.
Last week the committee announced that it had acquired—through purchase, gift and loan—22 items, including a painting on tin of...