Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Michelle: It doesn't look like you. By Geniusofdespair



Michelle Obama's bottom lip is bigger, her eyes are also larger, chin too broad in painting, amount of skin between eye and hair line too broad in painting, cheek bone almost goes to her mouth, not in painting, eyebrows lift at middle of eye then more sharply descend in the photo..... etc., there are other problems.

As a portrait painter I think a portrait should at least be recognizable of the one it portrays. I don't think it has to look exactly like the person you are painting but I think it is incredulous that likeness seems unimportant here, that this very important portrait doesn't look like the person it represents. If the painting weren't in the National Portrait gallery, I would not know it was our former First Lady.

Definition: a likeness of a person, especially of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm trying not to judge. I figure, as long as the Prez and his Ms. likes them and are satisfied, then its all good.

Anonymous said...

They are both horrible looks for a great President and First Lady. I'm terribly disappointed that Barack and Michelle would allow these to be revealed without first approving them. I like the backdrops. I don't like the visages of the former POTUS and FLOTUS.

Anonymous said...

These portraits don’t do justice to the Obamas

Anonymous said...

From https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/arts/design/amy-sherald-michelle-obama-official-portrait.html

"The first lady has to personally approve the finished work, as does the Portrait Gallery’s advisory board." Naturally the same would be true for President Obama and his portrait.

Anonymous said...

I think President Obama's is pretty good, except that I don't know where his ankles went. Mrs. Obama's is unidentifiable-- even the dress doesn't exist in real life, I've read, but is some adaptation.

I'm kind of disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Perfect art for 44.

Anonymous said...

I think that they are all about the contrast of the long run of suited white faces followed by a suited white racist. The expression of serious concern reflects 2017 when all of their positive efforts were being undone. It’s the expression of allowing the mentally ill to buy guns, the selling off of public lands, the disbelief that people would accept “clean coal” knowing that black lung results, etc. The face in the portrait reflects my own.