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Henry George

Henry George
Artist
George de Forest Brush, 28 Sep 1855 - 24 Apr 1941
Sitter
Henry George, 2 Sep 1839 - 29 Oct 1897
Date
1888
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
Panel: 22.5 x 20 x 0.3cm (8 7/8 x 7 7/8 x 1/8")
Frame: 33.3 x 30.5 x 5.7cm (13 1/8 x 12 x 2 1/4")
Topic
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard
Henry George: Male
Henry George: Literature\Writer
Henry George: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Lecturer
Henry George: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Social reformer
Henry George: Journalism and Media\Newspaper editor
Henry George: Journalism and Media\Journalist\Reporter\Newspaper
Henry George: Literature\Writer\Magazine article writer
Henry George: Politics and Government\Politician
Henry George: Crafts and Trades\Printer
Henry George: Business and Finance\Economist
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.67.53
Exhibition Label
Born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
As the United States advanced in material and technological progress, the economist Henry George observed, “The rich get richer, the poor grow helpless, the middle class is swept away.” The greatest danger facing the nation, George warned, was “the unequal distribution of wealth.” George’s stinging yet highly popular critique of capitalism, Progress and Poverty (1879), described with great eloquence the inequities of modern industrial society. George advocated eliminating all taxes except one based solely on land value. This “single tax” system, he asserted, would undermine monopolies, distribute wealth more evenly, and eliminate poverty.
George championed free trade and the American worker. He vehemently opposed Chinese immigration, partly out of racial prejudice but also because he thought employers would exploit the influx of laborers and depress wages. George’s writings found widespread support, especially within the burgeoning labor movement, but he failed in his attempt to win elected office.
Nacido en Filadelfia, Pensilvania
Mientras Estados Unidos progresaba material y tecnológicamente, el economista Henry George observó que “los ricos se hacen más ricos, los pobres son más indefensos, la clase media queda arrollada”. Decía que el mayor peligro que enfrentaba la nación era “la distribución desigual de la riqueza”. En su hiriente aunque popular crítica al capitalismo, Progreso y pobreza (1879), describió con elocuencia las inequidades de sociedad industrial moderna. Defendía la eliminación de los impuestos, excepto uno basado en el valor de la tierra. Afirmaba que este “impuesto único” debilitaría los monopolios, distribuiría mejor la riqueza y eliminaría la pobreza.
George abogó por el libre comercio y los obreros del país. Se opuso a la inmigración china, en parte por prejuicios raciales pero también porque los patronos explotaban el aflujo de mano de obra para reducir los salarios. Sus escritos tuvieron amplia acogida, sobre todo dentro del creciente movimiento laboral, pero no logró su deseo de ser elegido para un cargo público.
Provenance
(Adelson Gallery, Boston 1966); purchased December 1967 NPG.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Exhibition
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View
NPG, East Gallery 131