Jack Beal, Portrait of Dr. James Watson, 1994-95. Oil on canvas, 66 1/4 x 48 inches.
Jack Beal is included in an exhibition of significant portraits, Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection, at the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition is centered around the museum's recent acquisition of roughly two dozen portraits commissioned jointly by the Cummings and the museum spanning over twenty-five years. This collaborative project began with Beal's 1995 Portrait of Dr. James Watson, which he captured in Watson's office in Cold Spring Harbor. Due to the museum's closure this past spring, Visionary has been reorganized to open with a selection of portraits by Robert McCurdy, with Beal's portrait to be added alongside works by Chuck Close and Nelson Shanks this coming December.
The National Portrait Gallery remains closed due to the pandemic, however Visionary is fully available to view online.
Read more about the exhibition in Smithsonian Magazine.