Object Details
Artist
Kehinde Wiley, born 28 Feb 1977
Sitter
Barack Hussein Obama, born 4 Aug 1961
Exhibition Label
Forty-forth president, 2009–2017
Barack Obama made history in 2009 by becoming the first African American president. The former Illinois state senator’s election signaled a feeling of hope for the future even as the U.S. was undergoing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
While working to improve the economy, Obama enacted the Affordable Care Act, extending health benefits to millions of previously uninsured Americans. Overseas, he oversaw the drawdown of American troops in the Middle East—a force reduction that was controversially replaced with an expansion of drone and aviation strikes. Though his mission to kill al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was successful, his pledge to close the Guantanamo prison went unrealized.
Artist Kehinde Wiley is known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of African Americans posing as famous figures from the history of Western art. This portrait does not include an underlying art historical reference, but some of the flowers in the background carry special meaning for Obama. The chrysanthemums, for example, reference the official flower of Chicago. The jasmine evokes Hawaii, where he spent the majority of his childhood, and the African blue lilies stand in for his late Kenyan father.
44o presidente, 2009–2017
Barack Obama hizo historia en 2009 como primer presidente afroamericano de Estados Unidos. La elección del exsenador de Illinois generó un sentimiento universal de esperanza, aun cuando el país atravesaba su peor crisis financiera desde la Gran Depresión.
Mientras tomaba medidas para mejorar la economía, Obama promulgó la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio, extendiendo los beneficios médicos a millones de ciudadanos que hasta entonces carecían de seguro. En el ámbito exterior, dispuso la reducción de tropas estadounidenses en el Oriente Medio (esto acompañado por una polémica expansión de los ataques con aviones y drones). Aunque logró su misión de dar muerte al fundador de al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, su promesa de cerrar la prisión de Guantánamo quedó sin cumplir.
El artista Kehinde Wiley es conocido por sus vibrantes pinturas a gran escala de afroamericanos posando como figuras famosas del arte occidental. Si bien este retrato carece de esas referencias a la historia del arte, algunas flores del fondo tienen un significado especial para Obama. Los crisantemos son la flor oficial de Chicago; el jazmín evoca a Hawái, donde pasó gran parte de su niñez; y los lirios africanos representan a su difunto padre, natural de Kenia.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg; Judith Kern and Kent Whealy; Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia; Clarence, DeLoise, and Brenda Gaines; The Stoneridge Fund of Amy and Marc Meadows; Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker; Catherine and Michael Podell; Mark and Cindy Aron; Lyndon J. Barrois and Janine Sherman Barrois; The Honorable John and Louise Bryson; Paul and Rose Carter; Bob and Jane Clark; Lisa R. Davis; Shirley Ross Davis and Family; Alan and Lois Fern; Conrad and Constance Hipkins; Sharon and John Hoffman; Daniel and Kimberly Johnson; John Legend and Chrissy Teigen; Eileen Harris Norton; Helen Hilton Raiser; Philip and Elizabeth Ryan; Roselyne Chroman Swig; Josef Vascovitz and Lisa Goodman; Michele J. Hooper and Lemuel Seabrook III; The Skylark Foundation; Cleveland and Harriette Chambliss; Anna Chavez and Eugene Eidenberg; Carla Diggs & Stephen M. Smith; Danny First; Peggy Woodford Forbes and Harry Bremond; Stephen Friedman Gallery; Sean and Mary Kelly, Sean Kelly Gallery; Jamie Lunder; Joff Masukawa and Noëlle Kennedy Masukawa; Derek McGinty and Cheryl Cooper; Robert and Jan Newman; The Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. and Sandra O. Ocampo Family Trust; Julie and Bennett Roberts; Paul Sack; Gertrude Dixon Sherman; Michael and Mary Silver; V. Joy Simmons, MD; Andrea Lavin Solow and Alan P. Solow; John Sykes; Galerie Templon; Henry L. Thaggert III
Date
2018
Object number
NPG.2018.16
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© 2018 Kehinde Wiley
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Frame: 234.3 × 167.2 × 13.7 cm, 170lb. (92 1/4 × 65 13/16 × 5 3/8")
Stretcher: 213.7 × 147 × 3.2 cm (84 1/8 × 57 7/8 × 1 1/4")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
America's Presidents - Current
On View
NPG, West Gallery 210
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Home Furnishings\Furniture
Nature & Environment\Plant\Flower\Flowers
Costume\Jewelry\Ring
Costume\Jewelry\Watch
Imaginary
Barack Hussein Obama: Male
Barack Hussein Obama: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Barack Hussein Obama: Politics and Government\Government official\President of US
Barack Hussein Obama: Politics and Government\Government official\US Senator\Illinois
Barack Hussein Obama: Politics and Government\Government official\State Senator\Illinois
Barack Hussein Obama: Nobel Prize
Barack Hussein Obama: Performing arts awards\Grammy
Barack Hussein Obama: Performing arts awards\Emmy Award
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2018.16