Second Set of Official Obama Portraits Are Unveiled After 4-Year Delay

From this day forward, the official portraits of former President Obama and former First Lady Obama will now display on the walls of the White House – the People’s House – forever. pic.twitter.com/Ceb0wR4Ya2

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 8, 2022

Five years after they left office, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama returned to the White House for a special unveiling of their new official portraits. Their first pair of portraits—created by artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley—were revealed in 2018 and will eventually join the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. after completing their tour. The second set of portraits, on the other hand, will be put on permanent display at the White House. To celebrate this special occasion, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the Obamas back to the White House in a special unveiling held in the East Room on September 7, 2022.

This significant event was actually delayed by four years. Normally, in the tradition of presidential portraits, the first set is unveiled while the president is still in office, while the second set is unveiled by the successor in their first term. However, former President Donald Trump did not follow this custom, so the belated ceremony was held instead by President Joe Biden. Although the paintings have presumably been completed for years now, the portraits and the identity of the artists who created them, have been kept secret until this special event. Both Barack and Michelle Obama chose the artist of their official portrait: Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung, respectively.

In contrast with the first set of portraits, these newer paintings are more formal in nature, which is in keeping with the tradition of the works displayed in the White House. American artist Robert McCurdy is well known for his hyperrealistic portraits—capturing the likeness of important figures like the Dalai Lama, Toni Morrison, and Jeff Bezos—and chose to depict Barack Obama in the same detailed manner. In fact, it is hard to tell that the oil-rendered piece is not actually a photograph at first glance. Comparatively, Sharon Sprung's portrait of Michelle Obama, though still realistic in style, is more expressive. It features the former First Lady in an opalescent blue gown, sitting on an embroidered red couch and staring directly at the viewer.

When the Obamas lifted the blue curtains covering their portraits, the audience immediately burst into applause. Later, the former President gave a few words about the significance of these two historic pieces. “I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle: her grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she’s fine,” Obama said. “And I want to thank Robert McCurdy for taking on a much more difficult subject.” It is no surprise that McCurdy's depiction of Barack Obama required 18 months to complete due to the high level of detail required. “Presidents so often get airbrushed, they even take on a mythical status, especially after you’ve gone and people forget all the stuff they didn’t like about you,” he continued. “But what you realize when you’re sitting behind that desk—and what I want people to remember about Michelle and me—is that presidents and first ladies are human beings like everyone else.”

The newest portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were unveiled on September 7, 2022.

Barack and Michelle helped lift the American people's burden of fear with the blessing of hope.

That’s the gift of the Obama presidency to history. And it’s a gift I felt personally. It was my honor to unveil their White House portraits today. pic.twitter.com/YFTa5RPFx1

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 7, 2022

The second set of portraits will hang in the White House, while the other two paintings (made by Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley) will go to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

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: pic.twitter.com/oZb6ov4uwr

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 7, 2022

Barack Obama's new portrait was made by Robert McCurdy and Michelle Obama's portrait was created by Sharon Sprung.

Today, Barack and I went back to the White House to unveil our official portraits. It was so exciting to share Sharon Sprung and Robert McCurdy's incredible artistry with the world—and to be back in the place we called home for eight years. pic.twitter.com/YF98lihqgy

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 8, 2022

Robert McCurdy: Website
Sharon Sprung: Website | Facebook
h/t: [The New York Times]

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READ: Second Set of Official Obama Portraits Are Unveiled After 4-Year Delay