American sublime
By Amy Sherald, 2021
Take a close look at this striking portrait by Amy Sherald, an American artist best known for painting Michelle Obama's official portrait in 2018. The young man stands tall in a cowboy hat and a shirt patterned like the American flag, complete with a belt buckle featuring a galloping horse. Notice how Sherald paints his skin in shades of gray, a signature choice she uses in all her work. She does this on purpose, removing the usual color of skin to challenge how we think about race and identity. The effect is quietly powerful, asking us to see the person rather than a category.
The title, "American Sublime," gives us a clue about what Sherald is exploring here. By dressing a young Black man in the cowboy look, a style long tied to a very particular image of white American identity, she gently reshapes who gets to belong in that picture. Her style mixes realism with a flat, clean simplicity, set against a plain warm background that keeps all our attention on the figure. There is a calm confidence in his expression, a sense of belonging that feels both gentle and bold. Sherald often paints everyday people she meets, celebrating their dignity and inviting us to imagine fuller, freer versions of American life.