Robert Anderson’s portrait of President Bush, National Portrait Gallery
At least he still has his sense of humor:
“I suspected there would be a good-size crowd once the word got out about my hanging,” President Bush told some 500 people who attended today’s private ceremony to unveil his and his wife Laura’s portraits, which will go on public view tomorrow in the permanent “American Presidents” display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington.
Not only was he hung but first he got framed.
You can read more in Christine Simmons‘ Associated Press report.
The NPG jumped the gun a bit in memorializing a President a month before he leaves office. According to the museum’s announcement:
This is the first time that the Portrait Gallery will present the official likenesses of a sitting [as opposed to departed] president and first lady.
We note with approval that the President chose to be depicted as an open-collar kind of guy. Thomas Campbell, do you copy?
Oh, and here’s the iridescent Laura:
Aleksander Titovets’ portrait of Laura Bush, National Portrait Gallery
The opinions of distinguished art critics are neither sought nor desired. But just think: If Hillary had been elected, she wouldn’t have had to sit for another portrait. Her 2006 likeness (which I liked when I saw it that summer) was the NPG’s first commissioned portrait of a First Lady:
Ginny Stanford’s portrait of Hillary Clinton, National Portrait Gallery