More than five years after Obama completed his second term in the Oval Office, he and his wife were hosted by the man who served as his vice president, Joe Biden. The portrait of the former commander-in-chief has been painted in a photo-realistic style by artist Robert McCurdy. She is depicted against a white background, in an image reminiscent of earlier portraits Mr McCurdy made of Toni Morrison and Nelson Mandela. The former first lady is pictured in a blue dress in the Red Room of the White House, in a painting by Brooklyn artist Sharon Sprung. During some light-hearted remarks, Mr Obama said Mr McCurdy had “rejected my request to get my ears smaller”. She also said: “I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle – her grace, her intelligence and the fact that she’s okay! Her portrait is amazing. “And I want to thank Robert McCurdy for taking on a much more difficult subject and doing a fantastic job with mine.” Before the ceremony in the East Room, President Biden greeted the couple by saying, “Welcome home.” He added: “With Barack as our president, we got up every day and went to work full of hope. “Mr. President, nothing could have prepared me better or more to be president of the United States than being by your side for eight years, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.” Image: President Biden, former President Obama, Jill Biden and Michelle Obama at the White House Obama, whose second term in office ended in January 2017, said it was “great to be back” and said Biden “led us through some dangerous times.” He continued: “When people ask me what I miss most about my White House years, I don’t talk about Air Force One.” The former president added, drawing laughter, “although I do miss Air Force One.” Image: Jill Biden, Joe Biden and Barack Obama Some of the people who served under him were there and he said what he missed was the “opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with all of you”. Large, formal portraits of US presidents and first ladies adorn walls, hallways and rooms throughout the White House. While it is customary for a former president to return for inaugurations, Donald Trump did not hold a ceremony for the Obamas while in the top job.
