Presidential Portrait of Alison Byerly

This commissioned portrait honors President Alison Byerly, the first female president of Lafayette College, founded in 1826. I had the privilege of collaborating with President Byerly to create a personalized homage within her official portrait.

Behind her hangs Washington Greeting Lafayette at Mount Vernon by historical painter Jennie Augusta Brownscombe (American, 1850–1936), a significant work from Lafayette College’s own art collection. Brownscombe, renowned for her portrayals of early American history, was also a founding member of the Art Students League of New York.

It felt especially meaningful to include a painting of America’s first president as a backdrop to Lafayette College’s first female president—linking past and present through the lens of American legacy and progress.

This portrait is now part of the permanent collection at Lafayette College.

—Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso