A UK artist has said accusations that Donald Trump has distorted his image have put her business “at risk”.
Sarah Boardman's artwork of the US president hung in the rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver for more than five years until it was removed following Trump's recent comments.
She remained silent after his claims, then released a statement saying, “I created the portrait accurately, without 'intentional distortion,' political bias, or attempt to caricature the subject, either explicitly or implied.
“I have completed my work under the contract.
“During the six years that the portrait was in the Rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol Building, I received nothing but positive feedback and reviews.
“After President Trump’s comments, the situation has changed dramatically for the worse.
“President Trump has the right to free expression, as do we all, but the additional accusations that I 'intentionally distorted' the image and that I 'must have lost my talent with age' now directly and negatively impact my business, which I have run for over 41 years, and is now in jeopardy of its recovery.”
Last month, Trump commented on his Truth Social platform that Boardman's portrait of former Democratic President Barack Obama was “beautiful” but that his portrait was “really the worst.”
He also added that Boardman, who has a portrait of Republican President George W. Bush, “must have lost her talents with age.”
Trump wrote: “Nobody likes bad pictures or portraits of him, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, displayed by the Governor along with all the other Presidents, was deliberately distorted to a level that even I may have never seen before.”
Colorado Republicans raised more than $10,000 through GoFundMe to commission the oil painting, and Boardman said the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee approved her “reference photo and my subsequent work in progress.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
