Barack Obama's legacy is firmly rooted in the American history books, and now he and his wife are being commemorated for their service to the nation's public through a pair of paintings.
The artistic endeavours were revealed earlier today at the Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. and depict the former POTUS and FLOTUS sporting serene, yet confident facial expressions. Barack's image was helmed by New York City-based painter Kehinde Wiley. The artist chose to depict Barack in an upright position with his elbows placed firmly on knees, engulfed by a mass of greenery (a Wiley hallmark), giving the image an otherworldly aura.
Michelle's portrait was handled by Baltimore artist Amy Sherald, whose image is equally evocative. Michelle is decked in a floor length gown, and painted atop a simple blue backdrop, aims her gaze directly towards the spectator.
The paintings, like the Obama's presidential reign, are a historical first. Where Barack was the first African American elected as president, Wiley and Sherald have now become the first black painters to be commissioned by the museum to paint presidential portraits.
Celebrities from Shondra Rimes and Steven Spielberg, various political personnel, as well as the media were invited to witness this unveiling and toast the man and woman of the hour. The director of the gallery, Kim Sajet, notes how the portraits are not fully complete until a gallery visitor has a chance to personally encounter the image.
