[ozark hilljilly]

Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?

[Sig Sauer P220]

Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?

Doesn't matter. Soon Obama's will be there. The help just overlooked one.

[cotton1706]

Looks like Meriwether Lewis to me. Could be wrong. But it is the map room.

[Monsieur Poirot]

Tyler, I think.

[Oratam]

Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?

Someone whose portrait isn't hanging there today.

[silverleaf]

“Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?”

Just some typical white folk.

[savedbygrace]

Here's a tight shot of it:

[Kirkwood]

“Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?”

Very good phrasing... Whatever you do, don’t use the phrase hanging over the mantle.

[mass55th]

"Slightly off subject, but whose portrait is that over the mantle?"

I just called the White House Curator's office, and they said the portrait is of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, an architect (Capitol Building) who worked with Thomas Jefferson. Here's a link to his Wikipedia page:

Latrobe