Official portrait of President Barack Obama

2018 Photograph Dale DiMauro

Last month, the official presidential portrait of Barack Obama was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Barack Obama, the first african american president, selected Kehinde Wiley, the first african american artist, to portray an official presidential likeness. 

Last week while my wife and and I were visiting with relatives in the Washington D.C. area, we visited the Portrait Gallery to see this painting. I was struck by the strong use of color in contrast to the older portraits in the gallery and the prominence the background plays. 

Certainly not a watercolor but a well-composed painting. There is a seriousness of posture and expression depicted by the president, yet a relaxed quality as he is not wearing a formal tie.

There is much flower meaning attached to President Obama's life. The African blue lilies I understand represent Kenya, his father's birthplace while jasmine stands for Hawaii where Obama was born. Chrysanthemums are the official flower of Chicago, where the president's political career began and the place where he met his wife, Michele.