President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama applaud former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, not seen, during the portrait unveiling ceremony for former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush portraits, May 31, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Obama's presidential portrait will be unveiled at the White House in a Sept. 7 ceremony hosted by President Joe Biden.Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press
Barack Obama ‘s presidential portrait will be unveiled at the White House in a September ceremony hosted by his former No. 2, President Joe Biden.
Portraits of the former president and Michelle Obama will be presented in the East Room as is traditional, on Sept. 7, according to Obama’s office.
It will mark the first time the former first lady has returned to the White House since her husband left office in January 2017. The former president previously returned in April to mark the 12th anniversary of his signature health care law – and spent more than four hours meeting with Biden and greeting White House staff.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host the Obamas for the occasion.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was expected to announce the portrait unveiling during her press briefing later Wednesday. As with previous such ceremonies, the artists and details about the artwork won’t be released until the day of the ceremony.
The White House Historical Association has arranged portraits of recent presidents and first ladies since 1965, when it negotiated acquiring a portrait of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter unveiled the official White House portraits of former President Gerald Ford and former first lady Betty Ford in an East Room ceremony.
Carter later asked not to have a ceremony, according to the association, but most other former first couples have had one in their years since leaving office. The Obamas hosted the May 2012 unveiling of the portraits of former President George W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush.
“I think it’s fair to say that every president is acutely aware that we are just temporary residents – we’re renters here,” Obama said then of the White House. “We’re charged with the upkeep until our lease runs out. But we also leave a piece of ourselves in this place.”
Bush said he was honoured and joked, “I am also pleased, Mr. President, that when you are wandering these halls as you wrestle with tough decisions, you will now be able to gaze at this portrait and ask, what would George do?”
The White House portraits won’t be the Obamas’ first in Washington. They attended the unveiling of their portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in 2018. Obama joked then that artist Kehinde Wiley cheerfully ignored his suggestions for that likeness to feature “less gray hair” and “smaller ears.”
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.