Now on View: Bill Clinton by Chuck Close

 A key to Bill Clinton’s successes as president, along with his resilience and personal affability, was his determination to govern through consensus. Major accomplishments, such as welfare reform, the first budget surplus since the late 1960s, and successful U.S. intervention in the Balkans stemmed from this pragmatic viewpoint. Other proposals, such as universal health care, failed. His administration was plagued by several scandals, such as Whitewater and the consequences of his affair with a White House intern. His denial under oath about this relationship led to his impeachment. He was not convicted in the Senate trial, however, and his popularity actually increased as Americans continued to admire Clinton for his political talents, quick intelligence, and determination.

Chuck Close begins all his paintings by taking a photograph of the subject, in this case a 2005 image made as a cover for New York Magazine. He then creates grids on both the canvas and the original image to replicate the information contained in the photograph with a series of abstract modules. The portrait is on loan to the National Portrait Gallery from Ian and Annette Cumming, and is now on view in the “America’s Presidents” exhibition on the second floor.

Comments

[Richard Taylor]

My wife and I visited the gallery on MLK day and saw this picture.

Our opinion of the work was that it was a well-done "op-art/pop-art" type of piece, but that it was patently DISRESPECTFUL of Mr. Clinton that this piece was the ONLY portrait of him in the gallery.

All other "funny/non-traditional" pieces in the Presidential gallery were placed near a more sober rendition of that same president (i.e. the humorous sculpture of George H. W. Bush directly across from his oil portrait).

It appeared to us to be a "political" statement in a spectacularly inappropriate venue.

[National Portrait Gallery]

This is an excellent subject for discussion; thank you for bringing your thoughts on the Chuck Close portrait of President Clinton to our attention.

We are honored to have this image on loan. Of course, it is not a traditional image of a sitting or a former president, as you have observed. However, this image was sanctioned by President Clinton and the artist, Chuck Close, is one of the most accomplished artists of our day.

The National Portrait Gallery collection contains other images of President Clinton, some of which are more traditional; those portraits go on view as the galleries are refreshed.