When it comes to portraits of Donald Trump, the former president may be his own harshest critic.
Earlier this year, Trump reportedly took issue with the official painting of himself hanging in the Colorado State Capitol, claiming it had been “purposefully distorted” to make him look unflattering.
The artist behind the original work, Sarah Boardman, defended her piece, stating she had completed the portrait “accurately, without purposeful distortion, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject.” Nevertheless, her explanation was dismissed.
Following Trump’s criticism, Colorado lawmakers decided to remove Boardman’s painting. In its place, they installed a new portrait by Arizona artist Vanessa Horabuena, which was donated by the White House last month and officially installed this week.
While Boardman’s version had been on display for nearly six years, the updated portrait presents a more polished and traditionally styled image of the former president — drawing comparisons to television journalist Keith Morrison. The previous version had been compared by some to JD Vance, minus his signature beard.
As always, art is subjective, and the swap has sparked plenty of opinions online — with users across the political spectrum weighing in on the aesthetics and the politics of presidential portraiture.
