[ad_1]
Artist Sarah Boardman is defending herself after President Donald Trump blasted her official portrait of him, which was recently removed from the state Capitol. The painter behind the work, says the accusations are not only false—but are now damaging her business.Trump: “Purposefully distorted” and “truly the worst”In a March 24 post on Truth Social, Trump took direct aim at the portrait:“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol… was purposefully distorted,” he wrote.“The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,” Trump added, claiming the artist “must have lost her talent as she got older.”Artist responds: “No purposeful distortion, political bias”In a statement released Saturday, Boardman denied any intention to distort Trump’s image:“I completed the portrait accurately, without ‘purposeful distortion,’ political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied,” she wrote.“I fulfilled the task per my contract.”She also emphasised that the Colorado Capitol advisory committee approved the reference photo, reviewed the work in progress, and signed off on the final product.Portrait removed after Trump’s postThe day after Trump’s criticism, legislative leaders announced the portrait would be taken down. By the next morning, it was removed from the wall displaying past presidential portraits and placed in museum storage.Boardman: Criticism now hurting my businessWhile Trump complained about the painting, Boardman wrote that she “got overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback” over the six years the portrait hung in the Capitol—until Trump weighed in.“President Trump is entitled to comment freely… but the additional allegations that I ‘purposefully distorted’ the portrait… are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years, which now is in danger of not recovering,” she said.Calls for a new portrait already underwayColorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, said the Trump portrait should be replaced with one “that depicts his contemporary likeness.” A new commissioning process has not yet begun.Boardman has also painted the official portraits of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama for the state Capitol.
[ad_2]
Source link
