Caption or Not, Trump's Portrait Says It All

"The docent had finally stopped before the black-and-white photograph of a looming, glaring President Trump that dominates the entrance to the final rooms of the "America's Presidents" exhibit. We had managed not to talk about him for several minutes, swerving left toward the bright, kinetic John F. Kennedy painted by the abstract expressionist Elaine de Kooning and then crossing right to view Kehinde Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama-a calm, floating, saintlike figure surrounded by leaves and flowers."

"But the president with the gorilla posture, knuckles firmly planted on the presidential desk, had to be dealt with. Someone else in our group asked why the Smithsonian had capitulated to Trump. Two days earlier, The Washington Post had broken the news that the National Portrait Gallery, which is overseen by the Smithsonian Institution, had swapped out an older portrait of Trump for the current one and put up a terse "tombstone" plaque that notes only the photographer's name, Trump's date of birth,"

Visitors encountered a dominating black-and-white photograph of President Trump at the entrance to the final rooms of the America's Presidents exhibit. The photograph's severity contrasted with Elaine de Kooning's kinetic John F. Kennedy and Kehinde Wiley's serene portrait of Barack Obama, intensifying visitor discomfort. A docent diverted attention by describing the Resolute Desk rather than addressing the portrait. The National Portrait Gallery removed an older Trump photograph, installed the current image, and added a terse 'tombstone' plaque listing only the photographer, Trump's birth date, and years in office. Other presidential portraits retain fuller contextual assessments.

Read at The Atlantic