The oil painting of Oxford’s only Nobel laureate hanging about the fireplace in the parlor at Rowan Oak is actually a photograph colored with oils by Oxford artist Laucene Clemments.

The following account by Grandfather J.R. Cofield, describes how he came to take the shot:

‘One morning in 1961, Bill called me at the house and said, “Cofield, I’d like for you to take a few shots of me this morning. Some friends of mine in Virginia are wanting some photographs of me in my riding costume.”

So I went on down and opened up and got everything all ready. It was a pretty quiet day. Nobody else in the studio.

At 10 a.m., Bill pulled up in his little Rambler station wagon. He commenced to take his riding clothes out of the back of the car. He said, “You got a place I can dress here?”

I said, ‘What kind of outfit is THIS?’ He didn’t say anything. His hair was all groomed and he was clean-shaven. It didn’t take him 10 minutes to put his riding habit on.

I took one look at him and said, “My God what an outfit!” He gave me a genial smile, but was ready to get on with the picture-making.

I wanted to pose him with his foot propped on something. Bill spied my little covered stool. I told him to prop his foot up and relax. So he kind of leaned on one knee. I knew that the very first shot, the one Bill posed himself, was the best one, but I shot about a dozen to make sure.

When Bill came in a day later to see the proofs, he was delighted with them. He immediately picked out the one I thought was the best shot. Bill was very pleased. It was an honor he was very proud of – riding to the hounds in Virginia.

Later, he wrote me several times from Virginia for extra copies.’

– J. R. Cofield