During a festive party, official photos of Michelle and Barack Obama were revealed at the White House on Wednesday. For the first time since 2012, paintings of a former presidential couple have returned to their Washington state residence. Traditionally, the next US president does, but Donald Trump never organized the party for his predecessor Obama.
“Welcome Barack and Michelle home,” President Joe Biden said at the ceremony. He called it “lucky for the United States” that Obama was president.
A portrait of Michelle Obama drawn by Sharon Sprung. The former first lady is depicted in a light blue dress, sitting on a red sofa. New York times He writes that Sprung took nine months to make the picture. Then it was stored for six years due to a late concert.
Robert McCurdy depicts Barack Obama in a dark suit against a white background. The former president described himself as a “difficult subject” and thanked McCurdy for the ultra-realistic photo “in which gray hair does not go unnoticed.”
Michelle Obama took a serious tone in her speech. “These traditions play a crucial role in democracy,” she said. according to Washington Post The comment was an “obvious criticism” of Trump.
Usually, White House portraits are unveiled in the third year of a new president’s term. It is not yet clear if a party around a photo of Trump and his wife Melania will take place in 2024.
