Artist's business jeopardised after Trump portrait backlash
Sarah Boardman, the author of a controversial portrait of Donald Trump, has had her painting displayed in the Colorado State Capitol. The artwork was sharply criticised by the President of the United States himself, leading to a wave of hostility towards the artist. Now, she admits that her business is "in danger of not recovering."
What do you need to know?
- Even the president criticised the portrait: Donald Trump publicly criticised the portrait created by Sarah Boardman, claiming it was "purposefully distorted."
- Impact on business: The artist fears that her business, which she has run for over 40 years, is at risk and may not survive.
- Artist's reaction: Boardman emphasises 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 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", and that the artist "lost her talent as she got older." He based this opinion on what he considered to be the successful portrait of Barack Obama, also created by Boardman. Additionally, he accused the painter of "purposefully distorting" him.
After 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 remains unclear why the US president decided to express his dissatisfaction only now.
The artist fears for her business
The harsh words of the president have had serious consequences for the artist's business. She admits that she may likely be forced to close her painting studio, which she's run for over 40 years, as it heads towards irreversible collapse.
"President Trump has the right to freely express opinions, as do all of us, but the accusations of 'deliberately distorting' the portrait and saying that 'I've lost talent with age' directly and negatively impact my business," said a distressed Boardman.
The artist points out 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.
