For all his many faults, Vladimir Putin is not without a jet-black sense of humour. The Russian president has given Donald Trump a painting. Many might have expected this to be a traditional piece of Russian art, depicting some rural scene, or perhaps something more avant-garde, from the contemporary Moscow movement. But no; Putin has instead sent Trump a picture of the aftermath of his assassination attempt last July.
The portrait, by Russian artist Nikas Safronov, is not what most people would call tasteful or accomplished. It depicts the president (notably slimmer and younger-looking than in reality) holding up a clenched fist in a gesture of defiance. Trump stands in front of a vast American flag, behind which various iconic landmarks, most notably the Statue of Liberty, are depicted. For some reason, the US president is holding a baseball cap. The impression given is of someone not taking the commission wholly seriously; it might even be seen as deliberately insulting, either in its artistic shortcomings or in the inferences behind it.
However, the president is not a modest or particularly introspective man, and he has let it be known that he loves Safronov’s work. Trump’s Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkoff told the podcaster Tucker Carlson that it was a “beautiful portrait” and that the president was “clearly touched by it”. In a testament to how much of an impact it has made, the portrait has been given pride of place in the White House, replacing the official picture of Trump’s former nemesis Barack Obama. It is hard to imagine any other present displaying a gift from Russia quite so prominently, but The Donald is, as we all know, not like other premiers.
Safronov has denied that he intended any satirical or comic purpose in the picture. He told CNN that: “It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life. He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves.”
He then decided that the very act of painting it was an important step in diplomatic relations, saying: “When I started the portrait, I realised this could bring our countries closer, and (I) decided not to charge any money because I suspected what this painting was for.”
Putin, or his apparatchiks, clearly saw the propaganda potential in sending over the portrait to America. No doubt they will be patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
Safronov is no stranger to painting ideologues: he has painted Putin, doing so in bizarrely historical terms; a portrait exists of the Russian premier painted looking like the French monarch Francis I. Clearly this was intended as a flattering, rather than satirical, representation of Putin. It certainly appears to have endeared the artist to Russia’s leader, if the Trump portrait commission is anything to go on.
Most people who see Safronov’s work will be unimpressed; it does not come close to capturing the iconic quality of the photographs taken after Trump’s near-miss with an assassin’s bullet last year. Yet while this strange, rather garish picture may not be great art, if it brings Trump and Putin close – and leads to peace in Ukraine – it may prove to have far greater significance than just about any other artwork created this decade.
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