Michelle Obama has a brand new look, at least in painting! The former First Lady returned to the White House alongside Barack Obama as their official White House portraits were finally unveiled.
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The portrait unveiling event marks their first joint visit to the building since they left in 2017, and a return of the tradition of official portraits, which was last celebrated ten years ago. They are the first portraits added to the White House Collection since the former President held an unveiling ceremony for George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2012.
The tradition is typically led and hosted by the sitting President, in honor of their predecessor, though Donald Trump undid the tradition during his term. Barack's image was painted by Robert McCurdy while his wife's portrait was painted by Sharon Sprung.
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The artist behind Michelle's portrait describes her work as "contemporary realism," and it captures the mother-of-two beautifully.
It sees her seated on a sofa in the Red Room of the White House, with her elbow resting on its wooden edge. She looks dazzling in a light blue gown featuring an off the shoulder neckline and pleated bust.
Her hair is painted into a short blow-out, and she has both minimal make-up and jewelry, with simple eyeliner on her eyes and wearing only her engagement ring on her hands.
The couple appeared to be quite pleased with the portraits
Per CNN, "the artwork was painted from photographs taken in different locations on the White House’s State Floor."
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While the technique and brushwork is certainly impressive, Barack's on the other hand is more hyper realistic. It sees him sporting a classic dark suit with a light gray tie, standing in front of a simple white background. Blurring the lines between photography and painting, Robert revealed to the White House Historical Association that his paintings typically take at least a year to complete.
The paintings will hang on the White House walls for decades to come
During the unveiling, President Biden said: "You both generated hope for millions of people who were left behind for so long – and it matters. You both did it with such grace and such class. You dreamed big and secured lasting wins for the American people, helping lift their burden with a blessing of hope.
The Obamas' have two other famous portraits in their honor, though those were exclusively painted for Washington D.C.'s National Portrait Gallery in 2018. Michelle's was done by Amy Sherald, and her husband's by Kehinde Wiley.
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