Shepard Fairey's Obama Portrait Acquired by The National Portrait Gallery

Shepard Fairey, Obama “HOPE” Portrait, courtesy of Irvine Contemporary.

The National Portrait Gallery announced Wednesday that it has acquired Shephard Fairey's ubiquitous Obama portrait, which we saw reproduced throughout the city and at Irvine Contemporary this fall. The 60 x 44 inch mixed media piece was donated to the museum by local collectors Heather and Tony Podesta, and will be on display in the New Arrivals exhibit near the 8th and G Street NW entrance in time for the inauguration. Also on display in the exhibit will be a newly acquired portrait of Laura Bush.

Our current First Lady also appears next to her husband in the Hall of Presidents—their commissioned portraits were unveiled December 19, a full month before the end of Bush's term. This is the first time that the Portrait Gallery has displayed a President's portrait in the exhibit before he left office. Museum spokesperson Bethany Bentley tells us that the NPG will work with Barack and Michelle Obama to select an artist to commission their portrait, which will be hung in the Hall of Presidents near the end of his term.

Bentley also notes that it is not unusual for the museum to collect portraits of Presidents prior to or during their term—they regularly collect images of the President throughout his time in office.