So are we not going to talk about how atrocious the Obama portraits are?

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

I love Michelle Obama's portrait. I love her dress as an aficionado of Geometric Abstractionism, and the grey-on-blue contrast creates a soothing yet seriously elegant vibe in the former First Lady.

As for Barack Obama's portrait, yeah I think it looks way too busy, as the background distracts from the subject of the portrait. But then again I understand that the artist has his own motivations for painting such a vibrant background.

(Pretentious art critic mode: The background represents the justaposixion of Obama's past, present, and future. On one hand, the choice of flowers recall his origins, in Kenya, Hawaii, and Chicago. Yet they, with the leaves that surround them, distract the viewer away from Obama and towards his world. For Obama is a man who has fought with the world, especially in its corporeal representation in the GOP establishment who obstructed his every move. Obama is a man of focus, yet ultimately the world was not yet ready for his vision.)

[Del Tachi]

They suck and I really hope they find another artist and not display those embarrassments in the White House.


Funnily enough, I think Obama has the worst presidential portrait and Dubya has arguably one of the best:

https://i.huffpost.com/gen/627925/thumbs/o-PRESIDENT-GEORGE-W-BUSH-OFFICIAL-PORTRAIT-570.jpg?4[/img]

That's GWB's official White House portrait, the portraits that President and Mrs. Obama will hang in the National Portrait Gallery.  Something more traditional will probably be done for their official White House portraits.

Remember, I think people are judging these in the context of Williamstown's portrait of Washington or Shikler's Kennedy but their purpose is really more akin to this monstrosity.

They're bad.

Michelle's is somewhat boring (just because her dress seems to compete with her face as the focal point) but I like both of them actually.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

They're fugly

[Mr. Matt]

Barack's seems like he's just sitting on a floating chair attached to the side of a tall hedge.