Portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama by Sharon Sprung (White House Historical Association/White House Collection)
On September 7, 2022, Gallery Henoch artist Sharon Sprung was in the White House for the unveiling of her portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. The portrait was commissioned in 2016 yet the unveiling ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political strife. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Biden invited the Obamas and artists of their respective portraits to the East Room ceremony along with various members of the Democratic Party involved in one or both administrations. Being selected to paint a presidential portrait is an honor that few artists share as these works will be on display for generations to come.
Since the 1960s all departing Presidents and First Ladies have had two portraits commissioned through artists of their choosing. One is created to hang in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery for public viewing and one is painted to be permanently installed in the White House. Unveiled in 2018, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald painted the Obamas’ portraits for the National Portrait Gallery, which are now touring the country. Sharon Sprung and Robert McCurdy were chosen to paint the White House portraits and have patiently waited for their works to be installed.
The feat of painting a portrait under secrecy does not take away from the collaborative efforts portraits require. After being chosen, the artists meet with the subjects to work through the representation meant to hang in the presidential residence. Sprung has painted posthumous portraits of Representative Patsy Mink, the first woman of color in Congress, and Representative Jeannette Rankin, the first female member of the House of Representatives. Sprung treats her portraits as a shared vision, a visible biography. She portrays the sitter's essence on canvas, leaving behind a visceral, breathing sense of the person. These two groundbreaking female legislators are now honored on the walls of the US Capitol. Sprung worked closely with the families of the two deceased Representatives but had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC, to meet with Michelle Obama and have the First Lady sit for the portrait in her studio in Brooklyn. Over the past few years, the two have worked around busy schedules to create a powerful portrait that communicates the elegance, confidence, and beauty of Michelle Obama.
From October 6th through October 29th, Sharon Sprung will be exhibiting a series of recent figure paintings alongside examples of important portrait commissions in her seventh solo show at Gallery Henoch. A public reception for the artist will be held on October 13th from 6-8 PM.
For more information contact the gallery.
