A new portrait of President Donald Trump has been approved by the White House and is set to be displayed in the Colorado State Capitol. The portrait, painted by artist Vanessa Horabuena of Tempe, Arizona, closely resembles Trump’s official photograph for his second term in office, with the only notable difference being Trump wearing a blue tie in the painting instead of a red one.
The new portrait features Trump against a black background, a departure from the textured brown and black backgrounds used in portraits of his predecessors. The decision to display Trump’s new portrait temporarily comes as Colorado’s legislative leadership discusses the future of the Capitol’s presidential portrait gallery. Former Sen. Lois Court, chair of the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, has stated that the group will thoroughly discuss all presidential portraits at their next meeting in September.
The White House donated the new portrait after Trump objected to a prior painting that had been on display since 2019. Trump expressed his displeasure with the previous portrait on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that it was purposefully distorted to a level he had never seen before. The original portrait was commissioned by Colorado Senate Republicans, who raised $11,000 for the project. Colorado artist Sarah Boardman painted the original portrait, as well as one of former President Barack Obama.
Boardman, who aimed to create apolitical portraits, faced backlash from Trump following his criticisms of her work. The new portrait by Horabuena has been framed and is set to be displayed in the third-floor rotunda of the state Capitol. History Colorado facilitated the framing process, and the portrait has been returned to Capitol building staff for installation. There is no specific timeline for when the new portrait will be unveiled to the public.
Vanessa Horabuena, the artist behind the new portrait, is described on her website as a Christian worship artist who specializes in patriotic and religious works. The display of Trump’s new portrait marks a significant moment in the ongoing discussion surrounding the representation of past presidents in the Colorado State Capitol. Stay updated with Colorado Politics by subscribing to their weekly newsletter, The Spot, for the latest news and updates on this development.
