US President Donald Trump received a new portrait from Russian President Vladimir Putin but criticized an existing painting of himself as “truly the worst”.
Details about the unpublicized new portrait were described by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as a “personal gift”, with the discretion to reveal more resting solely with Putin.
In the meantime, Trump shared his thoughts on his Truth Social platform regarding an earlier artwork of him displayed in the Colorado State Capitol.
The president has been meticulous about his image and created headlines in January with an official portrait that critics labeled as either serious or ominous.
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed the new portrait’s arrival from Moscow, indicating he had been tasked with bringing it back to Washington.
Witkoff described the piece as a “beautiful portrait” created by a “renowned Russian artist”, but withheld further commentary. He noted that Trump was “clearly touched by it.”
Peskov confirmed the gift while American and Russian negotiators resumed discussions in Saudi Arabia amidst Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
This gift underscores the warming diplomatic relations between the two countries since Trump returned to the White House in January.
Witkoff, who met with Putin 10 days prior, mentioned that the Russian leader had been “gracious,” expressing he prayed for Trump following an assassination attempt he faced last year.
The assassination attempt, which occurred during a rally in Pennsylvania, led to what some consider the most memorable image of Trump.
AP photographer Evan Vucci captured the moment Trump, with a bloodied ear, raised a defiant fist and urged his supporters to “fight, fight, fight.” This image was later mythologized by Trump, who featured it on the cover of a book.
Trump has not commented publicly on the portrait sent by Putin but made his preferences clear when he critiqued the Colorado painting.
He remarked on Truth Social that the painting, presented to the Capitol in 2019, was “purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before.”
Contrastingly, he noted that the same artist’s portrayal of Barack Obama, which was deemed “wonderful,” differed significantly. The English-born artist responsible for both portraits is Sarah Boardman.
Trump reportedly lost around 30 pounds (13.6 kg) during the previous year’s presidential campaign, citing being “so busy” that he hadn’t “been able to eat very much.”
Additionally, Trump leveraged the portrait to criticize Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, labeling him as “radical” and “extremely weak on crime.”
However, media pointed out that the portrait was unrelated to Polis, stemming from a crowdfunding campaign initiated by a Republican. Reportedly, it was commissioned to replace a temporary image of Vladimir Putin put up by a prankster.
The BBC has reached out to Ms. Boardman for her comments. In a previous discussion with Colorado Times Recorder in 2019, she acknowledged that a president would invariably face mixed opinions, as it is human nature.
Another portrait artist shared with the BBC that he might have approached the artwork differently but emphasized the need for nuance in presidential portraits, understanding the varying perceptions viewers may carry.
Robert Anderson, responsible for George W. Bush’s official portrait at the US National Portrait Gallery, stated that audience reactions are often influenced more by personal sentiments than the art’s quality.
Concerning Trump, Mr. Anderson remarked, “Portraying him would be quite challenging as his self-image may not align with that of a significant portion of the population.”
A spokesperson for Polis expressed surprise at Trump’s interest in the artwork at the Colorado State Capitol, stating the administration welcomes all perspectives on enhancing visitor experiences.
