A new portrait of President Donald Trump, approved by the White House, is set to be unveiled at the Colorado State Capitol. The portrait, painted by artist Vanessa Horabuena of Tempe, Arizona, closely resembles Trump’s official photograph for his second term, with the only difference being the color of his tie – blue in the painting instead of red. Unlike the portraits of his predecessors, Trump is portrayed against a black background.
The decision to display Trump’s new portrait temporarily was made by Colorado’s legislative leadership, who plan to discuss the future of the Capitol’s presidential portrait gallery at their next meeting in September. The White House donated the portrait after Trump expressed dissatisfaction with a prior painting that had been on display since 2019.
In 2019, Colorado Senate Republicans raised $11,000 to commission the original portrait of Trump, painted by Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman. Boardman, known for her apolitical approach, also painted the portrait of former President Barack Obama.
Following Trump’s criticisms of the original portrait, legislative leadership removed it from display. In response, Boardman expressed concern about the impact of Trump’s comments on her business. The new portrait by Vanessa Horabuena will now take its place in the third-floor rotunda of the state Capitol.
Vanessa Horabuena, the artist behind the new portrait, is described on her website as a “Christian worship artist” with a portfolio that includes patriotic and religious works. History Colorado framed the new portrait in preparation for display, with the exact timeline for its unveiling yet to be confirmed.
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