Official Obama portraits unveiled at White House
Bidens ‘welcome home’ the former president, first lady
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of official portraits with a modern vibe: him standing expressionless against a white background and her seated on a sofa in the Red Room wearing a formal light blue dress.
“Barack and Michelle, welcome home,” President Joe Biden said before he invited the Obamas to the stage to unveil the portraits. Some in the audience gasped, others applauded.
Biden was joined by his wife, Jill, for the formal unveiling in the East Room, where they made clear their affection for the Obamas.
“It’s great to be back,” Obama said when it was his turn to speak during the ceremony, which drew many members of his administration back to the White House in what felt like a reunion.
He praised Biden — his vice president — as someone who became a “true partner and a true friend.”
After Biden and Obama spoke, trading the usual self-deprecating jokes and praise, former first lady Michelle Obama stepped to the presidential lectern in the East Room and delivered a stirring reflection on the ceremony’s meaning and the state of a country in turmoil.
Michelle Obama reflected on her humble childhood on Chicago’s South Side and the unlikeliness of someone like her winding up with her portrait hanging in the White House.
“Even if it’s all still a bit awkward for me, I do recognize why moments like these are important, why all of this is absolutely necessary,” she said. “Traditions like this matter, not just for those of us who hold these positions, but for everyone participating in and watching our democracy.”
The very mention of democracy seemed freighted with meaning. And as she continued, describing America’s peaceful transition of power, long taken for granted until Trump’s brazen attempts to retain the presidency after losing the 2020 election, it was crystal clear whom she was talking about even though she never once mentioned his name.
“You see, the people, they make their voices heard with their vote,” she went on. “We hold an inauguration to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Those of us lucky enough to serve, work, as Barack said, as hard as we can for as long as we can, as long as the people choose to keep us here. And once our time us up, we move on; and all that remains in this hallowed place is our good efforts and these portraits, portraits that connect our history to the present day, portraits that hang here as history continues to be made.”
The portraits, commissioned by the White House Historical Association, have been a well-kept secret, along with the identity of their artists: Robert McCurdy, who painted the former president, and Sharon Sprung, who painted the former first lady.
While not necessarily household names, these artists — selected by the Obamas — join a storied
tradition of painting former first couples. Every past president is currently represented somewhere on the White House walls, although the paintings themselves move around to various rooms.
The former president called the portrait of his wife “stunning.”
“I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle,” he said. “Her grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she’s fine,” he said to applause.
In recent decades former presidents and first ladies
have had their official White House portraits unveiled by their successors. But that did not happen for the Obamas while Donald Trump, who did not schedule a ceremony, was in the Oval Office.
The break from tradition was a remarkable reflection of the antipathy between the two men. When Obama was president, he hosted former President George W. Bush to unveil his portrait in 2012. Obama noted that, despite their very different political ideologies, “the presidency transcends those differences.”
It is not clear whether
Biden will decide to host an event for Trump when his portrait is ready. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, dodged the question at a briefing Tuesday.
“We defer those questions to the White House Historical Association,” she said. “They lead the process on official portraits for both presidents and their spouses. So that question lies with them.”