Jo Davidson is considered one of the most renowned American sculptors of the twentieth century. He spent his career sculpting visionaries like Albert Einstein, Gertrude Stein (whose portrait-sculpture is on permanent display in Bryant Park, New York City), Helen Keller, and Walt Whitman. In December of 1933 Jo Davidson arrived in Washington D.C., by invitation from Sara Roosevelt, to sculpt a bust of President Roosevelt. Davidson worked quickly and completed the final piece in one to two visits. Davidson would go on to complete many sculptures of the president at many different scales and the two men became friends and kept in touch for many years.