Obama Chooses Artist For Coolest Official Presidential Portrait Ever

By Jaime Lutz

Updated Oct. 16 2018, 12:51 p.m. ET

Source: Instagram

Barack Obama has chosen artist Kehinde Wiley to paint his presidential portrait for the Smithsonian, and it will probably end up being the coolest portrait of a president there (okay, Kennedy's is pretty cool, too). Wiley, who is the first black artist to paint a presidential portrait for the Smithsonian, paints black men and women in the style of classical paintings, often in front of a millefleur tableau. 

It's a pretty cool selection which should lead to one of the best looking Presidential portraits we've seen.

At work on a massive equestrian painting. #kehindewiley #brooklyn #process #equestrianportrait #contemporaryart

A post shared by Kehinde Wiley (@kehindewiley) on Jul 6, 2015 at 10:10am PDT

And because the paintings are based on works from Renaissance and Baroque eras, many of Wiley's subjects are seen on horseback. Which might be a cool as hell choice for Wiley to make with Obama's portrait, even if it would result in some Republican eye-rolls. But hey we'd be here for it, he should totally go for that route if it works.

"The Virgin Martyr Saint Cecilia" 2010 oil on canvas

A post shared by Kehinde Wiley (@kehindewiley) on Jun 1, 2017 at 10:11am PDT

Though Wiley often paints ordinary men and women, he isn't a stranger to making portraits of famous people. Previously he's painted the Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Michael Jackson.

Portrait of Natasha Zamor, 2015 Oil on canvas 72 x 60 in

A post shared by Kehinde Wiley (@kehindewiley) on Sep 12, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT

Michelle Obama also picked a black painter, Baltimore artist Amy Sherald, with her own striking contemporary style. Both paintings will be unveiled next year, according to Jezebel.

Equestrian Portrait of the Count-Duke Olivares, 2005 oil on canvas 9 x 9 feet. From "Rumors Of War" series.

A post shared by Kehinde Wiley (@kehindewiley) on May 7, 2015 at 7:50am PDT

"The Portrait Gallery is absolutely delighted that Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald have agreed to create the official portraits of our former president and first lady," said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, in a statement to The Los Angeles Times. "Both have achieved enormous success as artists, but even more, they make art that reflects the power and potential of portraiture in the 21st century."

A very large painting in the collection of the Detroit institute of arts. "Officer Of The Hussars", oil and enamel on linen 9x9 feet 2007 #contemporaryart #modernportraiture #africanamericanmen #equestrian #militaryportraiture #rumorsofwar #detriotinstitute #seankellygallery #kehindewiley #conceptualpainting

A post shared by Kehinde Wiley (@kehindewiley) on Feb 9, 2014 at 8:56am PST

Definitely worth a trip to the museum, right?

[h/t Jezebel]

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