Ralph Lauren’s portrait will be featured in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery as part of its annual “Recent Acquisitions” exhibit on display from Nov. 17 to Dec. 4. The show includes figures who have made lasting contributions to the fields of medicine, music, art, literature and social justice, and are represented through paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs and new media. Lauren’s portrait is a chromogenic print shot by photographer Mark Seliger in 2002. Seliger has worked with Lauren on brand campaigns, editorial feature and private family photos.
Lauren’s portrait is included in the exhibition as he enters the 50th anniversary year of his company. Other inductees this year include the lawyer Francis Scott Key who wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner”; former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; actress Gertrude Jeannette; university president Norman Francis; photographer Harry Callahan, and actress Rita Moreno. They join the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of 22,000 portraits.