The artist behind US President Donald Trump’s official portrait at the Colorado State Capitol has spoken out for the first time, saying Trump’s scathing remarks about her work are threatening to end her decades-long career.
In a March 23 post on Truth Social, Trump slammed the portrait painted by Colorado Springs artist Sarah A. Boardman as “truly the worst,” accusing her of “purposefully distorting” his likeness and saying she must have lost her talent with age.
Boardman painted Trump’s official portrait for the Capitol Rotunda in Denver, where it had hung since 2019. Trump contrasted the work with her earlier portrait of President Barack Obama, which he described as “wonderful.”
Portraits of President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama hang in the Capitol Rotunda in Denver. (AP photo)
Boardman issued a statement Saturday denying Trump’s accusations and expressing concern over the real-world impact of his comments. “President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are,” she wrote, as per AP. “But the additional allegations that I ‘purposefully distorted’ the portrait, and that I ‘must have lost my talent as I got older’ are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years, which now is in danger of not recovering.”
The artist said that she painted the portrait in accordance with the contract she received from the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee, which also approved her reference photo and work in progress. “I completed the portrait accurately, without ‘purposeful distortion,’ political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied.”
Portrait removed after Trump’s comments
Trump’s public criticism was quickly followed by action.
The artist said that she painted the portrait in accordance with the contract she received from the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee, which also approved her reference photo and work in progress. (AP photo)
On March 24, Colorado legislative leaders announced that the portrait would be taken down. By the next morning, it had been removed and placed in museum storage.
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The $10,000 required to commission the portrait had been raised by Colorado Republicans. Now, state Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen has said the painting should be replaced with one “that depicts [Trump’s] contemporary likeness.”
No replacement has been commissioned yet.
On March 24, Colorado legislative leaders announced that the portrait would be taken down. (AP photo)
Boardman said the response to her work had been largely positive—until Trump’s post. “For the six years the portrait hung in the Capitol, I received overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback,” she said. “Since President Trump’s comments, that has changed for the worse.”
She added that Trump’s remarks not only questioned her artistic ability but also her integrity and intentions as an artist.
Who is Sarah A. Boardman?
British-born artist Sarah A. Boardman spent years traveling across Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US while working in airline travel and business—and pursuing her passion for art.
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In 1985, she began formal training in Germany with a renowned “Alt Meister,” studying Old Master techniques. She was named top student in 1987 and 1988 and later assisted in the atelier.
Artist Sarah A. Boardman (Photo: https://www.sarahaboardman.com)
Boardman was selected through a nationwide “Call for Artists” by the State of Colorado to paint the official portraits of Presidents Barack Obama (2011) and Donald Trump (2019), both displayed in the Denver State Capitol’s Gallery of Presidents.
She also painted President George W. Bush and several other public figures, including military personnel and a District Court Judge.
Known for capturing the “personality, character and soul” of her subjects, she told the Colorado Times Recorder in 2019: “There will always be anger at a president from one side or the other. It is human nature.”
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Shortly after the fallout, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the White House received a new portrait of Trump—this one a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the artwork as a “personal gift.” Witkoff called it a “beautiful portrait” by a “leading Russian artist.”
(With inputs from BBC, The Guardian, AP)
