POTUS Barack Obamaand FLOTUS MichelleObama returned to the White House to finally unveil their official portraits after DonaldTrump blocked the portrait ritual while he was in office. It worked out better this way anyway. Peep their photos and more inside….
The portraits are in!
Well, they’ve BEEN in. But, 45 refused to allow The Obamas’ official White House portraits to be unveiled and hung while he was in office, despite it being a centuries’ old tradition. It worked out better this way anyway because we’re sure Trump would have found a way to mess up the ceremony.
President JoeBiden (who served as Vice President during Barack Obama’s presidency) welcomed former President BarackObama and former First Lady Michelle Obama to the White House to unveil their official portraits that will hang in the White House.
Watch the unveiling below:
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama unveil their official White House portraits. pic.twitter.com/XAri4kN0wj
— The Recount (@therecount) September 7, 2022
And we love them both.
The Obamas were met with applause from former members of the Obama administration who were on hand for the big reveal.
Just as unique as they are, their portraits look nothing like any of their predecessors (which you can check out here). The modern twist was the perfect touch.
Mr. O’s photo looked more like a photograph than a painting. Created by artist RobertMcCurdy, the portrait features the 44th President of the United States wearing a black suit and gray tie against a white background.
President O thanked Robert McCurdy for the painting on social media, writing,“I want to thank Robert McCurdy for his extraordinary work on my portrait. Robert is known for his paintings of public figures, and I love how he paints people exactly the way they are. Take a look at the process behind creating the official White House portraits.”
During his portrait speech, he joked about wearing the tan suit that had everyone in a chokehold back in 2014.
“He also talked me out of wearing a tan suit, by the way,” he joked.
As for the painting for our Forever First Lady…
The Harvard Law grad looked stunning in her portrait, where she is featured wearing a strapless light blue dress while seated on a red sofa in the Red Room, created by artist SharonSprung.
Sharon Sprung is a brilliant artist who joins a small, but mighty group of women who have painted an official White House portrait. Learn more about her and the process that went into making our portraits: pic.twitter.com/NVAN3G0WpV
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 7, 2022
Mrs. O also took to Twitter to thank Sharon for the photo, “Sharon Sprung is a brilliant artist who joins a small, but mighty group of women who have painted an official White House portrait. Learn more about her and the process that went into making our portraits.”
During his speech, Barack Obama thanked Sharon for capturing his wife’s essence. Watch the clip below:
"I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle. Her grace, her intelligence – And the fact that she's fine." - Barack Obama on Michelle’s portrait pic.twitter.com/KaQ98z0R72
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 7, 2022
"I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle. Her grace, her intelligence – And the fact that she's fine,” he said.
OKAYYYY! We love to see it!
Here's a clip of Michelle's speech below:
Here’s that part of Michelle Obama’s speech: pic.twitter.com/8OPwCMavCi
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 7, 2022
We know what you’re thinking…
So, what were these portraits (that caused controversy in 2018) for?
Those portraits were hung in The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
So, do you love The Obamas' new portraits?
Photos: Andrew Harnick/AP