NPS
National
Portrait Service Est. 1832 · Office of the Registrar
National Portrait Service · Est. 1832

Commissioned
Portraiture.
Since 1832.

The National Portrait Service commissions original oil portraits for individuals, families, residences, and companions. Each portrait is painted by hand on canvas and delivered to the client.

I Have an Authorization Number Contact the Registrar's Office
Every commission produces an original oil painting on canvas, painted by hand and delivered to the client. Each portrait is also formally documented in the Service archive. Learn more.
Standards of the Service

What We Do

The Service commissions original oil portraits, executed by hand and delivered to the client. Every commission follows the same procedure, as it has since 1832.

Hand-Painted

Each portrait is an original oil painting on canvas by a commissioned artist. No prints, no reproductions, no facsimiles.

Documented

Every commission is formally entered into the permanent archive: subject, medium, dimensions, artist, and date — a record kept indefinitely by the Registrar's Office.

Delivered

The finished portrait is delivered to the client for display in the home, estate, office, or private collection.

Preserved

Your commission is entered into the permanent archive. The record does not expire. It does not disappear. It belongs to history.

Established 1832

About the
Service

The National Portrait Service was established in 1832 as the foremost institution for commissioned portraiture in the United States. It has operated without interruption since its founding, maintaining the same standards of craft and procedure.

Each commission produces an original oil portrait, painted by hand and delivered to the client.

About the Service
Archive ledger — National Portrait Service
Registrar's signature Certificate of commission
Formal Procedure

The Commission Process

A formal procedure from initial inquiry through delivery — unchanged in its essential form since the Service's founding.

1

Selection

The Service selects clients nationally and issues authorization cards by post.

2

Authorization

Your authorization number is issued and sent to you on your authorization card.

3

Reference

You submit clear reference photographs via the portal.

4

Assignment

A portrait artist is selected and the work begins.

5

Painting

Your portrait is executed by hand in oils on canvas.

6

Delivery

The finished portrait is inspected and delivered to you.

7

Record

The Registrar seals the archive entry. The record is permanent.

Read the Full Process
Categories of Commission

What We Paint

The Service accepts four formal categories of commission, each governed by the same standards and procedure.

Family Portraits

Multi-subject compositions for families of any size — from intimate two-subject works to full household portraits spanning generations.

Individual Portraits

Single-subject formal portraits. Head and shoulders, half-length, or full-length — for personal display, professional settings, or private collections.

Residence Portraits

Architectural subjects: the family home, the country estate, the lake house, or any property of significance. Painted with the same formal rigor.

Companion Portraits

Formal portraits of beloved animals. Treated with the same care, craft, and procedure as any commission undertaken by the Service.

Recent Commissions

Recent Commissions

A selection of recently completed portraits. Each is an original oil painting, delivered to the client and entered into the permanent archive.

Family Portrait — Commission Record 2026-021
Commission Record · 2026-021

Family Portrait

Oil on canvas · 30 × 40 in. · Delivered to client.

Delivered
Gentleman Portrait — Commission Record 2026-026
Commission Record · 2026-026

Gentleman Portrait

Oil on canvas · 24 × 30 in. · Delivered to client.

Delivered
Coastal Residence — Commission Record 2026-025
Commission Record · 2026-025

Coastal Residence

Oil on canvas · 36 × 48 in. · Delivered to client.

Delivered
View the Full Archive
Standards of Production

Every Detail Inspected

Before delivery, each portrait is reviewed against the commission specifications. Frame, brushwork, artist signature, and archive plaque are verified by the Registrar's Office.

Frame inspection Brushwork detail Artist signature Archive plaque
Ready to Commission

Begin a Portrait

If you have received an authorization card, enter your number to begin. For all other correspondence, contact the Registrar's Office directly.

Contact the Registrar's Office View the Archive