White House Reveals Official Portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama

Savas Abadsidis September 7, 2022

The official portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were finally unveiled in a traditional ceremony at the White House Wednesday.

President Trump decided to not unveil the portraits while he was in office.

New York Times:

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 portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama while Donald J. Trump was in power.
The official portraits of the Obamas were finally unveiled in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday by Mr. Trump’s successor, President Biden.
“It is great to be back,” Mr. Obama said at the ceremony, which drew many members of his administration back to the White House in what felt like a reunion.
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.

The portraits are typically unveiled during the first term of a president’s immediate successor. In Mr. Obama’s case, that would have been Mr. Trump. But Mr. Trump did not schedule the ceremony.

Sharon Sprung is a brilliant artist who joins a small, but mighty group of women who have painted an official White House portrait. Learn more about her and the process that went into making our portraits: pic.twitter.com/NVAN3G0WpV
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 7, 2022

Mrs. Obama said, “Traditions like this matter. Not just for those of us who hold these positions, but for everyone participating in and watching our democracy. You see, the people make their voices heard with their vote. We hold an inauguration to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Those of us lucky enough to serve work 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 is up, we move on.”

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A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

Past presidents and first ladies have typically had their portraits hung in the halls and corridors of the White House after ceremonies hosted by successors. Obama, for example, hosted George W. Bush, and his wife Laura Bush at portrait unveilings in 2012.

Watch the ceremony below.