Artist of Trump portrait says criticism is damaging her career

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - British artist Sarah Boardman, whose official portrait of US President Donald Trump was recently removed from the Colorado State Capitol at his request, said Trump’s harsh public criticism is now threatening her decades-long career.

Trump called the portrait "the worst" and claimed it was a "purposefully distorted" representation of him, leading to its removal in March after six years on display in the Capitol Rotunda.

Boardman, who also painted official portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, rejected the allegations, saying her work was conducted professionally and without political bias.

“I completed the portrait accurately, without purposeful distortion, political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract,” she said in a statement.

She noted that the reference photo and progress drafts were all approved by the selection committee throughout the process. “The portrait received overwhelmingly positive feedback for six years,” Boardman said. “But since Trump’s comments, that has changed for the worse.”

Trump further inflamed the controversy by praising Boardman’s portrait of Obama, then commenting: “She must have lost her talent as she got older.”

Boardman said those remarks are having a real-world impact. “The additional allegations… are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years, which now is in danger of not recovering.”