6/1/2023 0 Comments Obama portraits![]() Let’s face it, most artists have invested a great deal of time and thought in creating a work. I get that critics might feel a need to be “critical” in their reviews, but I think we, as viewers/consumers of art, have a responsibility to work a little at understanding where an artist is coming from and stretch ourselves beyond our simple “likes and dislikes”. Though I personally may stylistically “like” the portraits done by Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley more, it’s my belief that “liking” is an incomplete way of evaluating works of art. However, I DO have a comment that hopefully Hakim Bashara might give some consideration. (It is unclear whether President Biden will hold one for Trump.)Įlaine, thank you for your informative article on the Obama portraits (both sets.) I also want to express my gratitude to the Hyperallergic staff, in general, for putting out this newsletter and keeping me apprised of what “is out there” in the world of art. Normally, the sitting president holds a ceremony to unveil the previous president’s second portrait, but in an unsurprising move, former President Donald Trump did not hold the ceremony for Obama. While the first set of portraits is unveiled during the president’s term, the second set is presented after they’ve left office. The tradition dates back to 1965, when the White House Historical Association began commissioning portraits of America’s presidents and first ladies. (They are currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.) The Obama portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald (photo via Flickr) ![]() The former, painted by Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, became immediately famous when the portraits were unveiled in 2018 and are now on a national tour. Presidents and first ladies receive two sets of official portraits: One goes to the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, for public display, and one stays in the collection of the White House. In keeping with tradition, the former president and first lady chose the artists who would paint them - Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung, respectively - and the completed works will now hang in the White House. Today, September 7, the White House unveiled a second set of official Obama portraits in an event hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and attended by the Obamas. Robert McCurdy’s portrait of Obama and Sharon Sprung’s portrait of Michelle Obama, both painted in 2018 (images courtesy White House Historical Association/White House Collection)
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