Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have returned to the White House for the unveiling of their official portraits, more than five years after the former United States president left office.
“Barack and Michelle, welcome home,” President Joe Biden said on Wednesday before he invited the Obamas to the stage to unveil the portraits, drawing applause and some gasps from the crowd gathered for the event.
Artist Robert McCurdy put the grey-suited ex-president at the centre of his canvas, in a photorealistic portrait with a white background that recalls previous portraits he did of Toni Morrison and Nelson Mandela.
The former first lady is pictured in a blue dress in the White House’s Red Room, in a painting by Brooklyn artist Sharon Sprung.
“It’s great to be back,” Obama said when it was his turn to speak, praising Biden — who served as his vice president — as someone who became a “true partner and a true friend”.
Credit: Aljazeera.com
