Latest news with #GalleryofPresidents
Express Tribune
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Artist behind Trump's portrait claims backlash is harming her career
Listen to article Sarah Boardman, the British artist behind the official portrait of Donald Trump in the Colorado State Capitol, has claimed that the president's recent criticism of her work has placed her long-standing career in jeopardy. The portrait, which had hung in the Capitol's Gallery of Presidents for six years, was publicly disparaged by Trump in January when he described it as 'truly the worst' and accused Boardman of having 'lost her talent' as she aged. In his post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the portrait had been "purposefully distorted," a remark that Boardman said was damaging to both her professional reputation and her business. In a statement, Boardman described the effects of Trump's comments as 'directly and negatively impacting' her business of over 41 years, adding that it is now at risk of not recovering. She emphasised that she had painted the portrait accurately and without political bias, fulfilling her commission from the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee as per the terms of her contract. "I completed the portrait accurately, without 'purposeful distortion,' political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject," she explained, noting that for six years, the artwork received positive reviews and feedback. However, since the president's comments, she said the public reaction has turned sharply negative. Trump, who has long been known for his attention to personal image, had earlier praised Boardman's portrait of former President Barack Obama, calling it "wonderful". But he made no such praise for his own likeness, stating that he would 'much prefer not having a picture' than the one painted by Boardman. Following the comments, the portrait was removed from public display. Despite this setback, Boardman stood by her work and the integrity of her artistic process. 'President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are,' she said, "but the additional allegations have harmed my reputation."
New York Times
25-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Who Is the Artist Behind the Portrait Trump Hates?
A relatively unknown artist living in Colorado was recently thrust into the spotlight when President Trump criticized her work, a portrait of himself that had been hanging in the State Capitol for about five years. Mr. Trump said on social media that the oil painting, by Sarah Boardman, which depicts the president with softened features in a dark suit and red tie, was 'truly the worst' and that it had been 'purposefully distorted.' 'In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain,' he wrote on Sunday. 'In fact, they are actually angry about it!' A day later, the Colorado General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, removed the portrait that was hanging in the Gallery of Presidents in the building's rotunda. Ms. Boardman, who won a nationwide contest to paint the portraits of President Barack Obama and Mr. Trump that hung in the State Capitol, did not respond to a request for comment. She has not spoken publicly since the portrait was removed, but months before it was unveiled, she told The Colorado Times Recorder that she had chosen a reference photo that showed Mr. Trump with a 'serious, nonconfrontational, thoughtful' expression. Here is what we know about Ms. Boardman and that presidential portrait. What is Ms. Boardman's artistic background? Ms. Boardman was born in England and began studying painting 40 years ago in Germany under a master painter, according to her website. She spent more than four years learning and practicing techniques used by old master painters, a term broadly used to describe prominent artists who worked between 1300 and 1800. Before taking to painting, she worked in airline travel and business. What does Ms. Boardman paint? Ms. Boardman's portraits, which make up most of her work, are varied, but all use a combination of realism and painterly aspects. She paints ordinary people in graceful or contemplative poses, public and military officials, and a variety of dogs. According to her website, she is intrigued by the 'depth' found in her subjects and is challenged to capture the 'personality, character and soul' in each. What has Ms. Boardman said about her portrait of Mr. Trump? In conversations with The Times Recorder in 2018 and 2019, Ms. Boardman said her personal feelings about Mr. Trump had not affected her work. 'Any personal feelings about any subject are not relevant and are left outside the studio per my training to 'leave those emotions at the door,'' she said. She said then that protests and outrage over her portrait of Mr. Obama were because of how people felt about the politician, not the art itself, and that she expected the same of Mr. Trump's portrait. Ms. Boardman explained that the most supportive comment she had received at the time was in reference to Mr. Trump's neutral expression and how it would appeal to everyone. 'A portrait is not a political statement, but a representation of a human being,' she said. Have past presidents hated their portraits? President Theodore Roosevelt was unpleased with his first presidential portrait, which was painted by the French artist Théobald Chartran in the early 1900s, and later became known as 'the mewing cat.' Mr. Roosevelt eventually commissioned John Singer Sargent to paint his official portrait. President Lyndon B. Johnson turned down the official commissioned portrait of himself by Peter Hurd, calling it 'the ugliest thing I ever saw.' Mr. Hurd called the comment 'very damn rude.' What was the response to Trump's criticism? While Mr. Trump said that Ms. Boardman's portrait of Mr. Obama was much better and speculated that the artist 'had lost her talent as she got older,' the response from officials and the public has been mixed. Supporters and critics have flocked to Ms. Boardman's professional Facebook page, where some of her art is displayed, to share their opinions. A spokesman for Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado told 9News, a local television station, in a statement on Monday that the governor's office was surprised by but appreciative of the president's attention to the artwork. 'We are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience and hope all the attention successfully attracts even more tourists to the Denver area,' he said.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado state capitol caves and removes Trump portrait after complaints from riled president
We all have that one picture of ourselves that we simply can't stand. But Donald Trump has the power to do something about it. The Colorado state legislatures agreed on Monday to 'immediately' take down a painting of the mercurial president that he had blasted on Truth Social as "distorted" and "the worst." State Democrats said the request came from their Republican colleagues, who apparently felt moved by the pleas of their leader. "The [Democratic] speaker and majority leader are focused on keeping Coloradans safe and reducing costs, not hanging portraits. If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that's up to them," a spokesperson said. Republicans haven't always been against the portrait Trump found so offensive. Painted in oils by Colorado artist Sarah Boardman during Trump's first term, it was funded through a Republican-run GoFundMe campaign, approved by the state GOP, and has hung in the capitol's Gallery of Presidents since 2019. "Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado ... was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," Trump said on his own social platform on Sunday. "The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older,' he added. "In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, they are actually angry about it!" Trump claimed. He added that he was speaking on behalf of said constituents to Colorado's Democratic governor Jared Polis, who Trump claimed was "extremely weak on crime" and "should be ashamed of himself". The portrait will reportedly be put into long-term storage once it's been removed. According to The Denver Post, the portrait Trump hates was commissioned in 2018 after a citizens' effort to raise fund for a Trump portrait failed to raise any money, Afterward, a Democratic aide helped a protest group sneak a portrait of Russian president Vladimir Putin into Trump's place on the wall, prompting former Republican state legislator Kevin Grantham to launch a new fundraising campaign. On Monday, Grantham told the Denver Post that he was 'caught a little off guard' by Trump's reaction, but that it would be 'silly' and disrespectful not to take down a presidential portrait disliked by the subject it represents. A spokesperson for Governor Polis said he was 'surprised to learn' that the President is 'an aficionado of our state capitol and its artwork,' and said he was 'always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.'
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Colorado state capitol caves and removes Trump portrait after complaints from riled president
We all have that one picture of ourselves that we simply can't stand. But Donald Trump has the power to do something about it. The Colorado state legislatures agreed on Monday to 'immediately' take down a painting of the mercurial president that he had blasted on Truth Social as "distorted" and "the worst." State Democrats said the request came from their Republican colleagues, who apparently felt moved by the pleas of their leader. "The [Democratic] speaker and majority leader are focused on keeping Coloradans safe and reducing costs, not hanging portraits. If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that's up to them," a spokesperson said. Republicans haven't always been against the portrait Trump found so offensive. Painted in oils by Colorado artist Sarah Boardman during Trump's first term, it was funded through a Republican-run GoFundMe campaign, approved by the state GOP, and has hung in the capitol's Gallery of Presidents since 2019. "Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado ... was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," Trump said on his own social platform on Sunday. "The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older,' he added. "In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, they are actually angry about it!" Trump claimed. He added that he was speaking on behalf of said constituents to Colorado's Democratic governor Jared Polis, who Trump claimed was "extremely weak on crime" and "should be ashamed of himself". The portrait will reportedly be put into long-term storage once it's been removed. According to The Denver Post, the portrait Trump hates was commissioned in 2018 after a citizens' effort to raise fund for a Trump portrait failed to raise any money, Afterward, a Democratic aide helped a protest group sneak a portrait of Russian president Vladimir Putin into Trump's place on the wall, prompting former Republican state legislator Kevin Grantham to launch a new fundraising campaign. On Monday, Grantham told the Denver Post that he was 'caught a little off guard' by Trump's reaction, but that it would be 'silly' and disrespectful not to take down a presidential portrait disliked by the subject it represents. A spokesperson for Governor Polis said he was 'surprised to learn' that the President is 'an aficionado of our state capitol and its artwork,' and said he was 'always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.'
Buzz Feed
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
This Portrait Of Donald Trump Is Going Viral Because He Really, REALLY Hates It
I'm not sure what you were up to last night, but President Donald Trump was crashing out over a portrait of himself in the Colorado State Capitol's Gallery of Presidents. Here's the portrait in question. Unveiled nearly six years ago, the image was created by artist Sarah Boardman. Now, Trump is calling for it's removal. Reacting to the portrait, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, "Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before." "The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older," he continued. "In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, they are actually angry about it!" "I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don't worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself!" Trump concluded. Others... not so much. Regardless of the likeness, many expressed hope that the President of the United States would worry about more important things. "The president is laser focused on the big issue," someone said, seemingly sarcastically.
