A portrait of former President Donald Trump has been hung in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The likeness: Visitors will have the first opportunity to behold the full glory of the photograph in the America’s Presidents exhibition when the Smithsonian reopens May 15 following a COVID-19 closure.
- Pari Dukovic’s portrait of Trump, taken in 2019 for Time magazine, depicts the former president seated in the Oval Office behind the Resolute Desk.
- The photo has taken the place Kehinde Wiley’s official portrait of former President Barack Obama, which is going on tour in June.
“There’s always a sense of transition when we install a new presidential portrait,” Dorothy Moss, the gallery’s curator of painting and sculpture, told the Washington Post.
Pride of place: Although the National Portrait Gallery has four other portraits of Trump, Dukovic’s photo is the newest addition to the permanent collection and the only one from his presidential years.
- A wall text accompanying the photo has a brief biography that details Trump’s achievements as well as his refusal to concede defeat in the 2020 election.
Leslie Ureña, the gallery’s curator of photographs, said that in addition to its artistic beauty, Trump’s portrait has historical value: It was snapped the day before he announced his reelection bid.
- “We want to not only depict the individual,” she said to the Post, “but also bring as much history, as much context as possible.”
Trump’s official portrait, once painted, will replace the photo on display.
