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I just realized that there are six digits on obama's left hand!
Seems to be in line with a disrespect for the office he held, or perhaps the experience he had while in office. The overall tone, and the choice of artist, are both divisive to me. Sad.
I'm not familiar with the artist and I do think it looks a little strange having him sit inside the foliage. That's the artist's style though, the artist's interpretation. Artists do take license to express what they feel.
Once I learned the symbolism, it helped. At first I thought the background was the WH rosegarden but it represents Obama's own life background. Not so different from the Renaissance painters with all their strange symbolism--people in clouds, on the water, floating, whatever.
I wouldn't say it is a great painting though. When looking at the pictures of past presidents in the Smithsonian, the ones that really did what a portrait is supposed to do--that is, to make the person's personality come though, the best ones seemed to be of Nixon, Reagan, Eisenhower, and a few others. I think this painting makes Obama look serious, contemplative. But he also has a fun, joking side that I wish could have been made to show through. I never thought of him as so serious.
The Michelle painting just doesn't do much for me. It doesn't look like her and it doesn't make her personality come through. The way they portrayed the dress and her body is very well done, but it seems as though the artist cared more about the dress than they did the person. All I see is the dress.
I'm not familiar with the artist and I do think it looks a little strange having him sit inside the foliage. That's the artist's style though, the artist's interpretation. Artists do take license to express what they feel.
Once I learned the symbolism, it helped. At first I thought the background was the WH rosegarden but it represents Obama's own life background. Not so different from the Renaissance painters with all their strange symbolism--people in clouds, on the water, floating, whatever.
I wouldn't say it is a great painting though. When looking at the pictures of past presidents in the Smithsonian, the ones that really did what a portrait is supposed to do--that is, to make the person's personality come though, the best ones seemed to be of Nixon, Reagan, Eisenhower, and a few others. I think this painting makes Obama look serious, contemplative. But he also has a fun, joking side that I wish could have been made to show through. I never thought of him as so serious.
The Michelle painting just doesn't do much for me. It doesn't look like her and it doesn't make her personality come through. The way they portrayed the dress and her body is very well done, but it seems as though the artist cared more about the dress than they did the person. All I see is the dress.
Michelle's painting was meant to encapsulate the everywoman which is why its not a direct likeness.
Every President gets an official portrait, which hangs in the White House with the rest of the Presidents. Obama's was unveiled today, click on the thumbnail below.
I can't say I've ever seen that expression on his face. A serious glower, he looks like he's unhappy with something somebody did, and is psyching himself up for tongue-lashing the guy and punishing him. I don't recall him ever doing that in eight years of his presidency. He always looked happy, confident, faintly condescending at times, there's no doubt he is a great actor.
This painting looks like it's a portrait of his father. (No, I've never seen a picture of his father, who probably doesn't look like that at all.) But it looks like what Obama feels he himself will look like thirty years from now.
And it's probably appropriate that he seems to be sitting in the middle of a whole lot of plants that look vaguely like marijuana. His Choom Gang days never really left him.
BTW, are your hands longer than your face is tall, from your chin to the top of your head? His are, at least in that portrait.
Probably annoyed about having to sit so long for a portrait. I’m sure the look on his face at the unveiling was horrified. Why did the artist have to put all those plants behind him? A few would have been nice, or even some like in his other paintings, but this is just too much.
Michelle's painting was meant to encapsulate the everywoman which is why its not a direct likeness.
Well that stinks. This is her official portrait, and will be viewed by people a hundred or even hundreds of years from now. And thank God there are other images of her since this official portrait doesn’t do her justice.
I just saw the other portraits you posted, so I guess this isn’t as much of a travesty as I thought. I still am not sure I like the portraits though. Hopefully the Obama’s do.
Michelle's painting was meant to encapsulate the everywoman which is why its not a direct likeness.
What everywoman?
That's just weird imo.
At least if she wasn't going to be portrayed as herself, the artist could have added some definition to the famous Michelle arms. As it is they are almost flabby.
What a hideous portrait. I would be really ticked if I were Michelle.
At least if she wasn't going to be portrayed as herself, the artist could have added some definition to the famous Michelle arms. As it is they are almost flabby.
What a hideous portrait. I would be really ticked if I were Michelle.
If Rembrandt or Leonardo De Vinci came back to life to paint portraits of the former first family you'd have all the same insults.
And for the record, Kehinde Wiley (President Obama's artist) might be unknown to you but he's far from unknown in the world of art. [URL]https://www.google.com/search?q=kehinde+wiley&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO_ZXfjqHZA hWSulMKHWoDDWYQ_AUICigB&biw=1080&bih=572[/url]
Yes, he is the artist who painted a picture of a black woman holding a decapitated head of a white woman. What a foul human being. And this is the artist Obama requested to create his portrait.
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