Obamas reveal unconventional portraits in Washington
Former US first couple Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled their portraits at Washington's National Gallery Monday, two contrasting works by African American artists that shocked and delighted.
The paintings by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, were revealed at a star-studded event that is a rite of passage for most former American presidents.
The museum holds portraits of all American ex-commanders in chief, but these latest additions stand in stark contrast to the more buttoned-down approach of traditional presidential portraiture.
Both show their subjects -- America's first black presidential couple -- looking cool and confident, a stark contrast to the bubbling swamp of anger and braggadocio that is political Washington today.