Official Bush portraits unveiled

[Tab]

Source: AP

President George W. Bush, left, prepares to unveil his portrait with the assistance of Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, G. Wayne Clough, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Official-Bush-portraits-u...

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I am so tempted to haul out Photoshop for this...

[Captain Hilts]

1. Wow! They did them already?

[Joe Bacon]

9. Yeah--The Picture of Dorian Bush

[GReedDiamond]

25. It's too bad that the artist who painted The Picture of Dorian Gray...

...for the 1945 movie of the same title, was no longer around to do the Bush portraits. I think Ivan Albright's stylistic approach was more applicable to the subject matter, as shown below:

[Acadia Blue]

47. LOL

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Thank you very much for posting the picture while still covered.

I think it should never be revealed. Let it hang forever with the cover on it.

[Joe Bacon]

11. And this is where it should be permanently placed!

[Submariner]

28. Well said

[nini]

3. Did the portraits show their devil horns

or hide them?

[Mike Nelson]

4. This is like a horror movie...

I hope they keep it covered

[Somawas]

5. I hope that the artist got the blood on his hands just right. nt

[llmart]

6. Please do.....

I need some more laughs today.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. It's a stupid picture, open collar, undignified. These things are for the ages.

It's fitting that he look that way, 100 years from now people will get the ture impression of that idiot.

[Historic NY]

8. Does he own anything but blue LS shirts?

[Politicalboi]

10. Please take them with you

When and if you move out.

[NV Whino]

12. Aw, too bad about the cowboy boots

You can't see 'em. But the artist got the pointy little ears right.
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081219/capt.c3d9d8...

[Capt. America]

13. Does this portrait look like a "war preznit" to you Shrub? I must admit I am suprised with an ego

as big as Shrub's, he made the artist interpret him as "casual" George. I guess he figures he doesn't want people to think of him as a war criminal, a liar, and a thief.

I wonder if Cheney's portrait will feature him in his coffin or as a bat.

[cureautismnow]

14. The colors are all wrong.

Turds are usually brown.

[truthisfreedom]

15. "Man, I bet your hips are about this wide now, Laura!"

[RubyDuby in GA]

18. That portrait doesn't look anything like her!

It doesn't look like she's wearing the drapes:

[Xipe Totec]

22. Have you ever thought about plucking your eyebrows?

- I used to have two eyebrows, but I plucked the top one off...


My favorite line from the Carol Burnett Show, and from this particular skit, no less...

[RubyDuby in GA]

16. Now that its almost safe to go back to DC again, I can't wait to go to the National Portrait Gallery

and throw my shoe at his despicable little scrunched up face.

(I've been boycotting Washington since that flaming asshole began his occupation of MY White House!)

[benld74]

17. And at the bottom, the words WHAT ME WORRY?!?!?!?

[Xipe Totec]

19. When one picture is not enough...

[BrklynLiberal]

23. ROTFLMAO!!!!!

[Number23]

24. They should make that into a poster

It'd sell out worldwide in minutes...

[pipi_k]

27. Closer than you realize...

Bush was too busy to pose himself, so one of those guys was the stand-in model

The artist probably had a hell of a time dumbing down the expression a bit, though...

[Still Sensible]

20. Well at least

he took his head out of his ass long enough to sit for a portrait.... I guess.

[Tab]

46. Au contraire, he has lots of practice doing both at the same time.

Witness:

[balantz]

21. Our ill gotten Puppet in Chief and his Mrs.

[pipi_k]

26. Well I hope the portrait captured

that wonderfully vacant look on his face.

[Indenturedebtor]

29. Portrait shows Bush relaxed and smiling

Source: msnbc.com

Portrait shows Bush relaxed and smiling
President, first lady unveil official paintings at National Portrait Gallery


updated 12:35 p.m. MT, Fri., Dec. 19, 2008

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush's two terms in office have been marked by wars, a global financial crisis, and a steady stream of political opposition. But his official portrait, unveiled Friday at the National Portrait Gallery, shows him at ease and smiling, seemingly unfazed by eight years of tumult.

Bush's portrait, along with one of first lady Laura Bush, will be displayed with all the other official presidential portraits at the gallery.

Bush wanted painter Robert Anderson, a Yale classmate of the president's, to give him a more informal look for his likeness at the National Portrait Gallery. Anderson painted the portrait to engage viewers with the president in a "personal and conversational manner," according to an event program.

"I needed to find a person who would do the painting that would be a good and forgiving friend," Bush said of Anderson. "It actually looks like me, which is a good sign. You did a fabulous job."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28316124 /

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Go check out the link... it's like looking at a train wreck.

Though at least it is an accurate likeness. He looks like a completely vacuous moron.

[BrklynLiberal]

30. It really does not do him justice...but it sure looks like him..

[Lionel Mandrake]

33. Once he was human. Well, sort of.

Then he got ahold of that ring. Look what it did to him.

[NMDemDist2]

31. he's not even wearing a coat! how disrespectful can you get?? arhhhhhhh n/t

[napi21]

32. Oh my! And HE thinks he's a world leader. ;o(

[SharonAnn]

40. Yup, that's his "What, me worry?" expression, allright.

[MADem]

34. What an interesting painting.

I don't care for the Presidency of this guy, but I find the painting fascinating. It certainly is a different take on the usual portraits.

I guess Bush wanted to make a mark -- and this was about the only way to do it. Nothing else worked very well, now, did it?

[Maccagirl]

35. "Seemingly unfazed"

Those two words pretty much sums up the * Administration. It encapsulates the compassionless, anti-intellectual, self-serving, greedy, and pure narcissism of it's subject. Just one more month before this nightmare ends-thank God. I will do my best never to post another word about George Walker Bush.

[Journeyman]

36. Yep -- blue shirt, nasty looking sweat stain. . .

that's how I'll picture him, on those rare instances I give him a thought between now and the end of my days.

[balantz]

37. Congress has let him get away with mass murder and humungous theft

why shouldn't he be relaxed and smiling?

[neuvocat]

38. Looks more like Bill Mahr.

[glinda]

39. As an artist my comment and observation is

"look at his hands" which are actually an entanglement. The hands in their expression are not in sync with the facial expression. They are like a grid or a criss cross of sorts. More like an interlocked entanglement.

[Lorien]

49. But you have to admit; they are very well rendered

one wonders what the artist thinks of his subjects.

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081219/capt.c3d9d8...

[glinda]

51. A portrait always has clues in the face and hands or environment

I have sat with people prior to doing their portrait and gotten them to talk, relax and to tell me about themselves. This portrait even though rendered well is disjointed. It may have been intentional. But I think it is actually cut in two parts with the face being of one emotion and even softer style and the hands being almost of a totally different feeling. It is as if the person who painted it was kept at a distance and yet the artist struggled with something he was seeing or that he was personally feeling. The hands are "harsh and busy and static all at one". Like a cage. Like a web. Like the feeling of confinement or even entrapment. Personal entrapment. LOL. They are even, to some extent, nervous looking to me. If you paint a person relaxed, their hands are away from each other generally. He is in a nervous pose in my opinion. Two conflicting things. People do not sit with their hands like that for a long time. I think he worked off of photos mostly also as the painting is a bit flat.

[Sophree]

52. It's strange how the artist noticed and captured

The two sides of his face- which has been discussed on DU before- the two halves of his face look completely different- and the portrait completely captures that. Strange...

[DebbieCDC]

41. Oh, that's the "helluva job Brownie" look

Christ I am going to

[MilesColtrane]

42. "Relaxed and smiling..."

The only official portrait of a President that's just rubbed one out?

[paparush]

43. I hope some DUer spraypaints "SMIRK" on that damn thing.

[scarface2004]

44. the ole someone you d drink beer with look!!!

greatest president who you would supposedly want to drink a beer with ever!!!

[Lorien]

48. It is a very accomplished painting, and he looks like he's sitting on the can

while drunk!

[chelsea0011]

45. H estill thinks he is one of us.LOL

[sakabatou]

50. Aww man...

"They gave me hairy palms."

[tom_paine]

53. I got'cher portrait, right HERE!