An 1842 portrait of Angelica Van Buren, President Martin Van Buren's daughter-in-law and official hostess, hangs above the mantel above the fireplace in the Red Room. A white marble bust of Van Buren in the neoclassical style appears in the portrait; it is one of three busts of Van Buren executed by Hiram Powers, for whom the President posed in 1836. One of these busts is also located in the Red Room.
This portrait of John James Audubon, exhibited on the west wall of the Red Room, was painted in Edinburgh in 1826 by Scottish artist John Syme. At the time, Audubon was in the British Isles seeking a publisher for his paintings of birds.
Gilbert Stuart's 1804 portrait of Dolley Madison, hanging on the north wall of the Red Room, is the best-known depiction of the First Lady. Secretary of State, James Madison commissioned this likeness and one of himself. The paintings hung in the drawing room of their Virginia estate throughout his lifetime.