Obama portrait

In a White House ceremony, the Bidens unveiled a painting of the former president by Robert McCurdy and a portrait of Michelle Obama by Sharon Sprung.

More traditional portrait artists stand to the side of that milieu, a bit suspect because the medium is so old, so dependent on traditional craft and skill, and often intimately connected to the world of finance and power. President Donald Trump, who should have hosted the Obama portrait unveiling years ago, refused to have the couple — or their likenesses — in the White House, an act of erasure and contempt that prefigured his far more public snub of President Biden when he refused to attend his inauguration. This is about filling in two gaps in a chain of images since the founding of the nation. By choosing Wiley and Sherald, the Obamas highlighted the work of two African American artists with substantial careers in the contemporary art world. Her expression is about as inscrutable as that of her husband’s, but the effect is more accessible. Traditional portraits are commissioned by politicians, corporations, universities and other public bodies, and those artists often work under significant pressure not just to render a good likeness, but also to create an object that fits the aesthetic of where it will hang — the boardroom, the judicial chamber, the halls of Congress or academe. The portrait of Michelle Obama, by New York artist Sharon Sprung, is softer, more colorful and relaxed. The new portraits are more traditional than the ones commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. The effect is to tell us almost nothing about the man, beyond the salient fact that he must have wanted to tell us nothing about himself. [Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington](https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2001.13), by Gilbert Stuart, which presided over the festivities in the East Room. And the legacy was more than just the policies, treaties and laws passed under the Obama administration. A cynic would say this was just a standard Washington partisan event, but it may turn out that the ceremony was more meaningful than the images unveiled.

Former U.S. president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, returned to the White House Wednesday, unveiling official portraits with a modern vibe in an ...

Other portraits of early presidents and first ladies often came to the White House as gifts. The White House Historical Association, a nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and funded through private donations and sales of books and an annual Christmas ornament, helps manage the White House portrait process. "We're here to create an encounter between the viewer and the sitter," he said. Work, however, is underway on a separate pair of Trump portraits bound for the collection held by the National Portrait Gallery, a Smithsonian museum. Barack Obama stands expressionless against a white background, wearing a black suit and grey tie in the portrait by Robert McCurdy that looks more like a large photograph than an oil-on-canvas portrait. "It's also about what could happen, because a girl like me, she was never supposed to be up there next to Jacqueline Kennedy and Dolley Madison.

Former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton stand by their official White House portraits during the unveiling event hosted by President George ...

When his portrait – which hangs in the presidential mansion alongside his counterparts throughout history – was unveiled, Clinton yearned for an earlier age. “Bill Clinton loved the job of the presidency. And if Trump or another hardline Republican wins the White House next, Biden could be kept waiting, too. Yet, to no one’s surprise, Obama’s portrait dedication didn’t happen during his successor’s White House term; ex-President Donald Trump had no interest in sharing the presidential limelight with anyone. Bush – an ex-World War II pilot, US representative to China, CIA chief, vice president and President – for an “entire lifetime of public service.” Bush was gracious in return. Generally, the portrait ceremony takes place during the succeeding presidency – typically a lighthearted affair to show bipartisanship and continuity across party lines.

The Obamas did not have their unveiling ceremony while Donald Trump was in office.

Her portrait was also painted entirely from photographs that were taken by artist Sharon Sprung in various locations on the State Floor of the White House.” On Wednesday, Obama was hosted by his former vice-president, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill. Her paintings are jewel-like in their color palettes, a credit that she gives to her use of Vasari handmade paint.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama's official White House portraits were unveiled during an emotional ceremony at the White ...

But what we're looking at today -- a portrait of a biracial kid with an unusual name and the daughter of a water pump operator and a stay-at-home mom -- what we are seeing is a reminder that there is a place for everyone in this country," the former first lady said. It's hanging within one of the recessed archways that line the hallway. Thomas said another private donation of $100,000 also is helping to pay costs associated with the portraits. A Robert Rauschenberg painting replaced a portrait of a Roosevelt in the family dining room. Unlike her predecessors' portraits, Michelle Obama is wearing a strapless gown in her portrait -- perhaps a marker of the country's evolving style. The image depicts Michelle Obama in a blue dress, seated on a sofa in the Red Room of the White House. This is the gift of the Obama presidency to the country and to history." Michelle Obama's is hanging one floor below, along the ground floor hallway. "We're now heading towards the first third of the 21st century. The WHHA, a nonprofit organization, facilitates and funds the creation of the portraits. And when in office, President Donald Trump never held a ceremony for the Obama portraits. The photorealistic image of the former President, dressed in a black suit with a gray tie, is painted against a minimal white backdrop -- a signature of McCurdy's artworks.

The former president and first lady returned to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Wednesday to unveil their new presidential portraits, which will adorn the White House ...

and First Lady [Jill](https://www.tmz.com/people/jill-biden/) said revealing the portraits is an honor. Barack and Michelle want the paintings to inspire folks from all walks of life ... Barack was in a great mood, making everyone laugh and smile ... While Barack mostly kept it fun, Michelle made a powerful speech. [Barack](https://www.tmz.com/people/barack-obama/) and [Michelle Obama](https://www.tmz.com/people/michelle-obama/) are back in the White House ... Barack and Michelle Obama White House Portraits Revealed ...

When is a dress not just a dress? When it's part of a painting meant for posterity.

As the designer Thom Browne (who made the dress and coat Mrs. Obama’s bare arms (a rarity in first lady portraits — you have to go back to Lady Bird Johnson in 1968 to find a first lady exposing any arm) reflects the way Mrs. Obama wore in the 2013 inaugural parade) told The dress, for example, is by Jason Wu, the Taiwanese-Canadian designer who is a New York Fashion Week stalwart and who rose to fame as the creator of Mrs. Koop said she had prepped the look in January 2017, just before the transfer of power. Relaxed, but with a coiled energy and a sense of the portent of the office. Obama since her time in the White House. Obama said in the portrait unveiling, “there’s a place for everyone in this country.” Obama’s first and second inaugural ball gowns (and the dress she wore to her husband’s farewell presidential address in Chicago). Clinton in a pantsuit and Mrs. More relaxed and more romantic than the portraits of her immediate predecessors — Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush were captured standing, buttoned-up and wearing black (Mrs. Obama’s painting, by the photorealist artist Robert McCurdy, depicts the president in a dark suit, white shirt and silver tie against a white background, jacket buttoned, hands in his pockets, looking straight at the viewer.