Twitter users are giving the Obamas’ new portraits the highest order of social media respect.
The official portraits, unveiled by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama Monday at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., were skillfully painted by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. Although they’ve only been in the public eye for less than a day, they were quick to inspire memes from Twitter users.
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“This portrait is amazing, but I really hope there’s another version with the tan suit and a cigarette,” one user commented.
This portrait is amazing, but I really hope there’s another version with the tan suit and a cigarette pic.twitter.com/3OhSyibQOo
— Jesse Sachs (@JesseSachs) February 12, 2018
The plea, which was expressed by many avid fans of the headline-making tan suit that Obama wore to a 2014 press conference, was met with same savvy Photoshop skills.
ok betsy pic.twitter.com/ol5PPxSwBy
— darth:™ (@darth) February 12, 2018
Other people chose to poke fun of the lush background of the portrait.
“Sorry,” one person apologized, sharing a gif of the portrait with Homer Simpson slowly backing into the bush.
sorry pic.twitter.com/ApQYOf5XF7
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair (@senatorshoshana) February 12, 2018
One person even commented that it was “nice of him to honor his predecessors, the bushes.”
nice of him to honor his predecessors, the bushes https://t.co/A9XJOrDXCG
— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) February 12, 2018
Some people couldn’t help but make comparisons to other iconic portraits, with one Twitter user comparing the former president’s portrait to Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement portrait.
Is anyone else getting a Beyoncé vibe off Obama’s portrait? pic.twitter.com/FkcNVIVtte
— Surlymom (@Surly_Mom) February 12, 2018
While it was all fun and games, some people took issue with Michelle Obama’s portrait, which was met with confusion and criticism for the seemingly unsimilar appearance.
To combat critical perceptions of Michelle’s portrait, CNN White House reporter Kate Bennettoffered some details on Sherald’s artistic style, which is reportedly why she was chosen to paint the former first lady.
“Sherald uses greyscale to paint skin tone in order to take away ‘color,’ so her subjects can be seen for their personality and presence,” Bennett wrote on Twitter.
“It’s not supposed to ‘look like her’ in the traditional sense of portraiture. These portraits break the mold of how we as the viewer consider the depiction of a person. This is why Sherald and Wiley were chosen,” she added of the artists.
Both portraits will hang in Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. alongside those of previous American leaders. The portraits will be available for public viewing starting Tuesday.
