Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s official White House portraits were revealed today. The two paintings are different in style, but both are iconic. Barack said that Michelle’s portrait captured her “hotness”.
These are the official portraits of the Obamas today unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Watch the ceremony here: https://t.co/WO4cIqxYRe pic.twitter.com/mHiF4lYtsS
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 12, 2018
The Obama’s portraits are the first presidential portraits that are painted by black artists. The Obamas were the first black presidential family and they solidified their legacy by also having their portraits be painted by black artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald.
“I am thinking about all the young people, particularly girls and girls of color, who in years ahead will come to this place and they will look up, and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall,” Michelle said at the portrait unveiling.
I LOVE that Barack and Michelle Obama chose Black artists to paint their portraits. The Obamas were America's first Black first family, so it's fitting they bestowed this "first" on two Black artists as well. pic.twitter.com/nQfofwJVTy
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) February 12, 2018
The Obama’s portraits, which will be displayed at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, were a hit. Twitter was filled with accolades for the portraits and, of course, a few memes.
Deep bow to Kehinde Wiley. This is a wonderful piece.
Get to know his work: https://t.co/RTE7GwnVTn https://t.co/QvjU8op9hb— Karen Wickre ☕️💻👀 (@kvox) February 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/jordan327/status/963077183899099136
sorry pic.twitter.com/ApQYOf5XF7
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair 🦥 (@senatorshoshana) February 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/963078607622037505
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/963078740191465474
Lock screen, wallpaper pic.twitter.com/IoLNYWBaQW
— Sean Brewster (@TheSeanBrewster) February 12, 2018
Is there a photoshopper in the house tonight that can photoshop these onto some church fans. Asking for a friend. pic.twitter.com/5qUNTpYdrm
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) February 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/N_du_Time/status/963081070873890816
Kehinde Wiley said the garden fights for attention as if to ask what is more important— the story or the man inhabiting the story? His speech was a brilliant mini-lecture. #myNPG https://t.co/51W5Si68nY pic.twitter.com/UarIqcwrVF
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) February 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/iSmashFizzle/status/963085502210506752
https://twitter.com/ira/status/963107251987755008
Kehinde Wiley painted Barack and Amy Sherald painted Michelle’s portrait. Wiley is a New York artist who combines Old Master paintings with contemporary components. He is known for painting black people with bright, often floral, backgrounds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEbaKPKjg4X/?taken-by=kehindewiley
Most classical paintings are of white people, so he takes that same classical Old Master style and creates a story about black people that have been ignored in classical portraits. Obama said that Wiley wanted to originally paint him on a horse.
Amy Sherald is a Baltimore based artist who only paints African-Americans. Her paintings focus on race and identity of African-American’s. She paints her skin tones in greyscale and the background is usually a solid color.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaUdjgenU3E/?taken-by=asherald
Her greyscale paintings visually break the stereotypes connecting skin color to racial stereotypes. Wiley painted Michelle in the same style and included Mondrian squares and patchwork details on her dress to pay homage to rural black communities.
Both portraits are beautiful and groundbreaking in their own ways.
