Ronald Reagan

Born Tampico, Illinois

This portrait of Ronald Reagan graced the cover of Time magazine’s 1980 issue “Man of the Year.” Reagan had claimed the White House in the recent November election. More important, however, the triumph of Reagan’s his conservatism at the polls seemed to signal a marked change in the political climate of the United States. In his calls for reduced dependence on government, he promised something quite different from recent administrations—Republican and Democrat. As Time put it, Reagan was not only “Man of the Year,” he was “idea of the year.”

For this likeness, Time enlisted the services of Aaron Shikler, who has long been

considered one of the country’s leading traditional portraitists. Among the traits characterizing Shikler’s work is a sense of intimacy, which he achieves largely through sensitive lighting.