WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Portrait Gallery has unveiled portraits of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, both painted by African-American artists who were personally chosen by the Obamas.
The portraits were unveiled to the public Monday at the gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian group of museums. The gallery has a complete collection of presidential portraits. A second and different set of portraits of the former first couple will eventually hang in the White House.
Barack Obama’s portrait was painted by Kehinde Wiley — an artist best known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of African-Americans. For Michelle Obama’s portrait, the gallery commissioned Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald, first-prize winner of the Portrait Gallery’s 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.
The portraits will be officially installed and available for public viewing starting on Feb. 13.
I love them. Both are perfect.
Love the portraits and love this couple. Also, look at them standing between their portraits. They love each other. They love our country.
I know it’s not a portrait …
But I’d kinda like to see …
I hope they hurry with the ’ eventually ’ part …
It just might be the thing that forces donnie to move out ! —
Kyle Griffin has a clip of Michelle speaking about the portrait. I miss everything about the Obamas. Their normal family, their obvious love and respect for each other, their respect for the Constitution.
Sadly, there’s not enough carvable (carveable?) rock at Mt. Rushmore for another head. But maybe that’s a good thing–it could have been Reagan.