Artist behind Trump portrait faces business collapse after backlash
Sarah Boardman is the artist behind a controversial portrait of Donald Trump, which was displayed in the Colorado State Capitol. The painting was sharply criticized by the President of the United States himself, leading to a wave of backlash against the artist. Now, Boardman admits her business is "in danger of not recovering."
What you need to know
- Even the president criticized the portrait: Donald Trump publicly criticized Sarah Boardman's portrait, claiming it was "purposefully distorted."
- Impact on business: The artist fears her business, which she has run for over 40 years, is at risk and may not survive.
- Artist's reaction: Boardman emphasizes that her work complied with the contract and did not include any deliberate distortions.
Controversial Trump portrait
British artist Sarah Boardman created a portrait of Donald Trump that was commissioned by the Colorado State Capitol. The painting was not well-received by the US president, who stated, among other things, that he "would much prefer not having a picture than having this one." He added that the artist "lost her talent as she got older," comparing her work unfavourably to what he regards as a successful portrait of Barack Obama, also created by Boardman. Additionally, he accused the painter of "purposefully distorting" him.
Following this criticism, the portrait was removed from the Colorado State Capitol. It is worth noting that the portrait is not new. It was unveiled in 2019 during Trump's first term in the White House. It is unclear what prompted the US president to express dissatisfaction at this point in time.
The artist fears for her business
The harsh words from the president have had serious consequences for the artist's business. Boardman admits she may be forced to close her painting studio, which she's run for over 40 years, as it heads towards irreversible collapse.
"President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I 'purposefully distorted' the portrait, and that I 'must have lost my talent as I got older' are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years," said a distressed Boardman.
The artist reminds the public that Trump's portrait was commissioned by the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee in Denver. "The reference photograph and my subsequent 'works in progress' were all approved, throughout that process, by that committee," she notes. Boardman assures that when working on Trump's portrait, she was not guided by political biases or a desire to 'purposefully distort' the US president.
