McCurdy told the White House Historical Association in an interview that his process centered on editing a photo of the former President. The photorealistic image of the former President, dressed in a black suit with a gray tie, is painted on a minimal white background — a signature of McCurdy’s artwork. McCurdy said his paintings take at least a year to complete. The portrait of the former first lady was painted by Sprung, who describes her work as “modern realism”. The image depicts Michelle Obama in a blue dress sitting on a couch in the Red Room of the White House. The artwork was painted from photographs taken at different locations on the state floor of the White House. President Joe Biden used Wednesday’s ceremony to reflect on Obama’s accomplishments in the White House. “Together,” Biden said, the former first couple “made history.” You both created 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. a blessing of hope,” he continued. “It’s so underrated … just to have hope. That’s the Obama presidency’s gift to the country and to history.” Wednesday’s ceremony in the East Room marked a rare opportunity for a celebration between two presidential administrations inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where President Biden and first lady Jill Biden convened a who’s who of administration officials past and present — – from the unique advantage of having served in both. It’s in the same room that Obama presented Biden with a surprise Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017, a tearful ceremony that reflected the two men’s deep mutual respect. While both like to play up their relationship in public, there are limits to their friendship, officials said. Stewart McLaurin, president of the WHHA, told CNN that the Covid-19 pandemic played a factor in the timing of the unveiling. WHHA, a non-profit organization, facilitates and funds the creation of the portraits. “Covid affected us two and a half years ago and I think it’s important that these (portraits) are revealed at a time when the public has access to the White House and can see them,” McLaurin said. .
Although there is no hard and fast rule for when a White House portrait should be unveiled, the ceremonies are often hosted by the immediate successor of a former president. And when he was in office, President Donald Trump never held a ceremony for Obama’s portraits.

The Obamas through the eyes of artists

Details about the pieces revealed on Wednesday were a secret, with artists and art creators signing confidentiality agreements to keep things under wraps before the big day. But the Obamas have often used art as a tool to express their tastes, so it should come as no surprise that their White House portraits do the same. McCurdy’s depiction of the former President is minimalist, eschewing the conventional props usually associated with a presidential portrait, such as a desk or library, for a completely blank background. Sprung’s performance shows the former first lady seeming to take some time to get comfortable inside one of the White House’s most formal rooms. Unlike the portraits of her predecessors, Michelle Obama wears a strapless dress in her portrait — perhaps an indicator of the country’s evolving style. In her portrait, the former first lady is wearing a custom dress from the Jason Wu collection, a person with knowledge of the details told CNN. Wu is a full designer choice for Obama and designed both of her inaugural dresses. Obama’s selection of Wu then essentially launched his career as a world-renowned fashion designer. “There’s going to be somewhat of an evolution of these portraits over time … and I think that’s going to be really exciting,” McLaurin said in a preview of Obama’s upcoming portraits. “I think this is going to be kind of a magical moment. I think it’s going to be an evolution of art.” He continued, “We are now on the road to the first third of the 21st century. And I think in the minds of most Americans, we see presidential portraits as these very traditional 19th century portraits that look and feel. But art and taste in art evolves and changes.” While living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Obamas chose to showcase several contemporary and modern artists. A Robert Rauschenberg painting replaced a portrait of a Roosevelt in the family dining room. Works by Mark Rothko and Josef Albers were installed. And Michelle Obama brought work by Alma Thomas — the first black female artist in the White House collection. Since leaving the presidency, the Obamas have staked some of their post-White House careers on tastemaking — producing podcasts and award-winning movies, as well as curating playlists and book lists each year. For their 2018 portraits on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (not to be confused with the new official White House portraits unveiled this week), the Obamas chose two black artists with unique perspectives on African-American portraiture. Amy Sherald, who painted the Smithsonian portrait of the first lady, challenges conventions about race by depicting her subjects’ skin in shades of gray. Kehinde Wiley, who painted the former President, re-imagines Old Master paintings with black subjects. Traditionally, the last two sets of presidential portraits are placed in the White House’s Cross Hall — although Trump chose to move the Bush and Clinton portraits to the Old Family Dining Room — which was effectively used as storage during White’s tenure. Home — after falling out with both families. Biden moved the Bush and Clinton portraits back to Cross Hall, but with a new Obama portrait, Clinton may have to move soon.

Wednesday’s ceremony at the White House

The Obamas’ return to the White House marked a rare moment for the current and previous administrations to converge and look back on a presidential legacy. Unlike the 2012 unveilings, Wednesday’s event hosted mostly attendees from the same party — with some attendees having connections to both administrations. The Obamas were joined by family, friends, former cabinet members and top administration officials during the unveiling. Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s mother who lived in the White House residence during their presidency, attended the ceremony. Other expected attendees included former Obama chief of staff (and current US ambassador to Japan) Rahm Emanuel, former senior adviser David Axelrod, former Treasury Secretaries Jack Lew and Timothy Geithner, former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius , former Attorney General Eric Holder , former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, former US Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan and former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. Former President Obama has visited the White House since Biden took office, but Wednesday’s event marked the first time Michelle Obama has returned to the building since the Trumps arrived in January 2017. Biden and Obama forged a close relationship while serving in office together, but their friendship has its limits. While they talk occasionally, they don’t have daily or weekly contact, people familiar with the matter said. After two terms working in Obama’s shadow, Biden has, at times, differentiated himself from his predecessor. Officials said there is also a degree of rivalry between the two men. Their history, though a partnership, has also been colored by various transgressions, real or perceived, which still remain. Obama declined to endorse Biden over other Democrats in the 2020 primaries, a step both men insisted was necessary to allow for a real showdown within the party. Four years earlier, Obama had seen Hillary Clinton as his Democratic successor instead of Biden, who decided not to run as he coped with the death of his son.

Here are the portraits of Trump

The White House Historical Association is in the “early stages” of portrait processes for former President Trump and former first lady Melania Trump, McLaurin said. “There’s a focus on specific artists who will likely do their portraits,” McLaurin added. A source familiar with the situation told CNN that talk of the portraits began over the past six months at Mar-a-Lago — Trump’s Florida home — and that the former president recently sat down for photos. However, it is unclear whether Trump has posed for the White House portrait artist or for portrait-specific photos. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre declined to say whether Biden would extend an invitation to Trump if his portrait were completed during the Biden administration. While official White House portraits are typically funded by the WHHA, other portraits created for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery are undertaken by Trump’s political donors. Trump’s political action committee donated $650,000 to the Smithsonian Institution in July to help paint the Trump portraits, according to Linda St. Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian. The donation from the Trump Save America leadership PAC marks the first time funds have come from a political action committee since the foundation began raising private funds for presidential portraits — a practice that began with portraits associated with former President George HW Bush, St. said Thomas. St. Thomas said another private donation of $100,000 also helps pay for costs associated with the portraits. The money, totaling $750,000, will go toward artist fees, shipping, framing, installation and events. CLARIFICATION: This story has…