A Multi-Generational Family Portrait:
Painting for Jack & Barbara Nicklaus
Some opportunities come along that feel more like an experience of a lifetime. Creating and delivering a 49-person family portrait for legendary golfer, Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara, was exactly that.
This wasn’t just a painting—it was a gathering of generations, a story of legacy, and a glimpse into a family’s love, all together on canvas.
A Christmas Gift That Began It All
Last Christmas, Jack and Barbara’s five children wanted to give them an extra special gift: a portrait of their entire family. Every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild gathered together in one frame. Adding an even more special of layer to this painting, The Nicklaus’ also celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary this year!
The surprise gift was unveiled with a poem on Christmas Day, sharing that the painting was in process and would take several months to complete.
Meanwhile, Ben was hard at work back in the studio!
The Background: Muirfield Village and Golf Club, Where it all started!
The backdrop chosen was deeply significant: Muirfield Village in Ohio. For Jack and Barbara, this is the place where it all began. It’s where their story was rooted, and where so much of their legacy has grown. Now home to the Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village holds a very special place to the Nicklaus family. The family even thought to add the Ohio State University flag over the 18th hole. It made so much sense for this beautiful view to be set as the background for their family portrait.
Ben absolutely loved painting this beautiful landscape from Muirfield Village, overlooking the 18th hole. But can you imagine the challenge … and pressure … to paint a fairway for the very person that designed this course? We knew that it had to be spot on because Mr. Nicklaus knew every slope, angle, and even tree included in the view. Muirfield Village Golf Club is in fact, Mr. Nicklaus’ own work of art.
Merging 100+ Photographs of 49 Family Members Into One Portrait
The challenge? FOURTY-NINE Family Members!
These days, it feels next to impossible to gather the entire family. Let alone when your entire family includes as of today, now 50 family members! Working from a single photograph for this painting was not an option.
The Nicklaus family gathered 100+ photos to make this painting happen! For months, Ben worked behind the scenes, carefully merging photos of each family member. Each face, each posture, each small detail had to feel connected and cohesive—as though everyone had actually been standing together in one shared moment. The real challenge was in that each photo was taken under different lighting and different angles. It’s safe to say, this was likely Ben’s most challenging painting to date!
Unveiling the Finished Painting
When the painting was finally complete, we shared preliminary previews with the family. Once the painting was complete, it was time to preview it to Mr. and Mrs. Nicklaus. Due to the size of the canvas, and number of hours put into it’s creation, shipping was not an option.
Gathered together for the first preview, Jack’s reaction said it all.
After taking in the painting with Ben, Mr. Nicklaus was moved to tears—his entire family, finally together in one portrait.
It was a moment of quiet awe, laughter, and emotion. A reminder that art doesn’t just decorate walls—it tells stories that last.
For us, this was more than just a painting. It’s a story of family, legacy, and love.
Today, the Nicklaus family portrait is styled in Jack and Barbara’s living room. Every day, it stands as a reminder of the love they’ve poured into their family and the legacy they’ve built over generations.
It was an honor to create something so deeply personal for a family that is not only legendary in the world of golf, but also grounded, warm, and full of love in the world that matters most—their home.
“We didn’t make golf a big deal. Family was our big deal.”
– Jack Nicklaus, during Masters 2025 Under the Umbrellas Interview
From capturing a live wedding painting to this multi-generational family portrait, we are reminded of just how precious each of these paintings are to our families. Our experience with the Nicklaus family has left an impression on us about what matters most. Our marriage and our family.
While not every family is as large as the Nicklauses, every family has a story worth capturing. Sometimes it’s the milestone moments—other times, it’s simply the chance to gather everyone together in one canvas when life makes that nearly impossible.
This portrait was a once-in-a-lifetime honor to create, but it’s also a reminder: your family’s love, quirks, and legacy deserve to be remembered too.
Jack & Barbara Nicklaus
Multi-Generational Family Portrait
36 x 60 in. Acrylic on Canvas
If you’re considering a multi-generational family portrait, we would absolutely love to connect! Send us an email here!
