This portrait of Secretary-General U Thant was painted by American artist James Whitney Fosburgh (1910 – 1978). U Thant served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations between 1961 – 1971. 

Secretary-General U Thant explained his role at the United Nations in his memoirs, View from the UN, which was published posthumously in 1978. He wrote, “To understand my feelings – and my conception of the role of Secretary-General – the nature of my religious and cultural background must first be understood … I was brought up not only to develop the spirit of tolerance but also to cherish moral and spiritual qualities such as modesty, humility, compassion, and, most important, to attain a certain degree of emotional equilibrium.”

Fosburgh was an American painter, art collector, and art historian. He was well-known as a talented portrait painter. In 1961, President and Mrs. Kennedy appointed Fosburgh as the chairman of a committee to create first-rate American paintings. 

In 1966, Dr. Ralph Bunche commissioned Fosburgh to paint a portrait of former Secretary-General U Thant. The portrait was made possible by a donation from eight friends of Secretary-General U Thant. The donors include Mr. Robert Benjamin from United Artist Corporation, Mr. Jacob Blaustein, Max and Robert Delson, Mrs. Marshall Field, Mr. Philip Klutznick, Mr. Arthur Krim, Mrs. Mary Lasker, and Mr. John D. Rockefeller III. The portrait was unveiled in the Secretariat Lobby on 29 June 1972.