Obamas return to White House, official portraits unveiled

Portrait of Michelle Obama by Sharon Sprung. Image courtesy of the White House Historical Association / White House Collection
The official White House portraits of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were unveiled on September 7. Barack Obama’s portrait was painted by Robert McCurdy, and Michelle Obama’s portrait was painted by Sharon Sprung. Images courtesy of the White House Historical Association / White House Collection
The official White House portraits of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were unveiled on September 7. Barack Obama’s portrait was painted by Robert McCurdy, and Michelle Obama’s portrait was painted by Sharon Sprung. Images courtesy of the White House Historical Association / White House Collection

WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle returned to the White House on September 7 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.

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Obama portraits leave NPG for US museum tour

Left: Kehinde Wiley, 'Barack Obama,'  a 2018 oil on canvas from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, © 2018 Kehinde Wiley | Right: Amy Sherald, detail of 'Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama' a 2018 oil on linen from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the generous donors who made these commissions possible and proudly recognizes them at npg.si.edu/obamaportraitstour. Support for the national tour has been generously provided by Bank of America.
Left: Kehinde Wiley, "Barack Obama" (2018), oil on canvas, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, © 2018 Kehinde Wiley | Right: Amy Sherald, "Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama" (detail) (2018), oil on linen, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the generous donors who made these commissions possible and proudly recognizes them at npg.si.edu/obamaportraitstour. Support for the national tour has been generously provided by Bank of America.
Left: Kehinde Wiley, ‘Barack Obama,’  a 2018 oil on canvas from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, © 2018 Kehinde Wiley | Right: Amy Sherald, detail of ‘Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama’ a 2018 oil on linen from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The National Portrait Gallery is grateful to the generous donors who made these commissions possible and proudly recognizes them at npg.si.edu/obamaportraitstour. Support for the national tour has been generously provided by Bank of America.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announces the final chance to view the popular portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald before it departs Washington, D.C. for a five-stop national tour with Kehinde Wiley’s iconic portrait of President Barack Obama. The Obama Portraits Tour will begin in Chicago on June 18 and will continue across the United States through May 30, 2022 before returning to Washington.

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