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"Republican club." (Andy Thomas)
Previously spotted in gift shops and other puzzle boxes, a whimsical copy of President Trump entertaining Abraham Lincoln, while all other Republican Presidents in history are now watching in front of the Oval Office.
The portrait was shown hanging in Trump's personal dining room during his "60 minutes" interview on Sunday, and the stopped image immediately went viral, confusing people with issues such as:
How did the painting come to the White House? Why is Trump as slim as Dwight Eisenhower? Does he drink a Coke Light? Is Taft in the background !? Why is everyone laughing? WHAT IS LINCOLN SAID TO TRUMP !?
The White House has not responded to a request for comment. Fortunately, Andy Thomas' "The Republican Club" is not an obscure work of art. Thomas has sold countless prints of it online and in gift shops, as he had previously participated in his bipartisan series, such as "True Blues: The Democratic Presidents Playing Poker" and "Callin ' the Blue: Republican presidents play billiards.
So, the Washington Post found it in his studio in Carthage, Missouri, to ask the burning questions of the world.
THE POST OFFICE: What's going on in this painting? Where is it?
THOMAS: I put him in a private club. Not a restaurant, not a bar, but a private club. It shows all the Republican Presidents, some of the most important in the foreground, but they are all there.
They tell a story. Lincoln and Trump in particular are linked, and everyone reacts.
THE POST OFFICE: What do Lincoln and Trump say to each other?
THOMAS: I have no idea. It's strange: we do not know how they would get along. The fact that they are all Republicans does not mean that they really love each other.
THE POST OFFICE: How did he find himself at the White House?
THOMAS: I painted once [California Republican congressman] Portrait of Darrell Issa. We had to go to Washington and Darrell gave us a ride. He had his two original paintings in his office, presidents playing poker. We stayed in touch. Darrell is a real nice guy. One day, he contacted my wife, Dina, and said, "Well, I saw you had a new one. I will show it to President Trump. "
The table of the "Republican Club" is suspended at the White House during an interview of "60 minutes". (CBS News)
[Note: A spokesman for Issa’s office later confirmed this account to The Washington Post: “Rep. Issa and Andy Thomas are indeed friends, and the Congressman has some of Andy’s fine work in his office. President Trump appreciates the art that Andy does and the Congressman did deliver the portrait to the White House.”]
THOMAS: A few weeks ago we received a call. Someone at the White House said, "Trump wants to talk with you." Of course, he did it.
We had a very good conversation. Trump said something like, "I'm at the Oval Office with Darrell Issa, whom you know, and Vice President Pence. We are looking at your painting. I have never seen that! Vice President Pence tells me that they are very well known. "
I remember he said he saw a lot of paintings of himself and he did not usually like them. He loved that one. He kept talking about my talent and this and that. He asked for some politics. It lasted three or maybe four minutes. I hung up and said, "I'm too good to go out and finish mowing the lawn." "(Laughs.)
THE POST OFFICE: So Trump does not have the original painting?
THOMAS: It is a high quality laser print. The original is still in my studio.
THE POST OFFICE: Trump looks pretty good in your painting. In fact, it looks sportier than in real life.
THOMAS: I wanted everyone to look as beautiful as possible and try to lose weight where it is needed. Or smooth lines. I did it with each figure.
THE POST OFFICE: His smile is very charming. I do not think I've ever seen Trump smile like that.
THOMAS: It's a painting that feels good. I guess people are nice. I try to make people as beautiful and happy as possible.
The first painting I did in 2008, originally, I had Richard Nixon who seemed paranoid and who covered his cards. I thought about it and thought: "This is not correct. The poor man was suffering from clinical paranoia, I should not mock him. I intentionally look for gay pictures.
With Trump, I went through a ton of photographs. Some presidents smile naturally each time and others do not.
It's the second face I've painted on Trump. The original, I had a very nice photo of him smiling with Melania and maybe his grandchildren. It was becoming his life, but it did not look like Trump as he should.
THE POST OFFICE: Does Trump drink a Coke Light?
THOMAS: Yes. I searched for it.
[[[[Trump reportedly drank 12 cans of diet Coke each day. Is it healthy?]
THE POST OFFICE: What is Reagan doing there?
THOMAS: I put what looks like a kind of fruity drink. Reagan's father was an alcoholic. I do not want to show the whiskey in front of him.
THE POST OFFICE: And George W. Bush?
THOMAS: Iced tea. And Nixon enjoyed a good glass of wine.
THE POST OFFICE: And Lincoln?
THOMAS: Water. This is mainly searched on the Internet. I really do not know.
THE POST OFFICE: I heard that there was some meaning for the woman in the background.
THOMAS: It would be the first woman republican president. I did the same thing in democrat painting.
THE POST OFFICE: Is your work inspired by other artists?
THOMAS: I've always liked American illustrators. I mainly do Western paintings – cowboys and indians. Frederic Remington and Charles Russell are two of my favorites. And Howard Pyle. And some Norman Rockwell.
But I do works all my life – since 1990, full time. I'm 61 years old now. It becomes your own style.
THE POST OFFICE: Now that your painting is everywhere on the Internet – and because everything with Trump is so polarized – some people make fun of it.
THOMAS:[[[[Laughs.]I'm used to it. It's kind of disheartening that sometimes people are so venomous, but it's like that. I just painted! It's a beautiful life.
Read more:
A Time magazine with Trump on cover is suspended in his golf clubs. This is a fake.
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