Since its unveiling back in 2019, Donald Trump has been in a perpetual hump about his presidential portrait in the Colorado state Capitol. After a heated tantrum on Truth Social last month, the painting was eventually removed – now the artist behind the work has spoken out about the backlash, claiming that the negative press has affected her business.
It's no secret that Trump's return to office has been somewhat of a personal rebrand, with a more serious and action-based ruling compared to his previous term in office (you only need to look at his new presidential portrait photo to see the evidence). While the old painting might not reflect Trump's new 'brand', his choice to remove the portrait defies over a decade of traditon – yet another defiance of American conventions.
Back in March, Trump posted a heated rant on Truth Social, suggesting that his portrait was a conscious attempt to misrepresent him in an unflattering light. "The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst," he claimed. Despite his backlash, artist Sarah A Boardman told the BBC she had "completed the portrait accurately, without 'purposeful distortion', political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied," but due to negative attention, her business is now in "danger of not recovering".
In our increasingly filtered world, it's naturally quite a jarring experience to see oneself reflected candidly through traditional portraiture, and perhaps it's this unedited clarity that led to Trump's heated outburst. Boardman has been creating presidential portraits since 2012, cementing her art as a fixture of US tradition. It seems Trump's flagrant dislike for the portrait is more an issue of ego over artistry.
For more Trump news take a look at his patriotic new White House logo or check out his recent ad with Elon that proves Tesla is getting desperate.
