Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of their official White House portraits. The event marked the first official portrait unveiling at the White House in a decade, when the Obamas hosted former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush.
The official White House portrait of the nation’s 44th president, created by Robert McCurdy, features Obama in a suit and silver tie against a plain, white background. Michelle Obama’s official White House portrait, painted by Sharon Sprung, shows the former first lady sitting on a red couch wearing a light blue, off-the-shoulder dress.
“When future generations walk these halls and look up at these portraits, I hope they get a better, honest sense of who Michelle and I were,” the former president said at the unveiling. “I hope they leave with a deeper understanding that if we could make it here, maybe they can too — they can do remarkable things too.”
This post was produced by Rachel Liesendahl, Kenichi Serino, Julia Griffin, and Dan Cooney.
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