American sublime (section)

A young Black man stands tall against a warm, golden background, his face calm and steady as he meets your gaze. The cowboy hat shades his eyes, and his shirt is the real showstopper here, patterned like the American flag with its stars and stripes spread across his chest. Amy Sherald painted his skin in shades of gray, a signature choice she uses in all her portraits. She does this to step away from how race is often tied to skin color, asking us to see the person rather than a category.

Sherald is best known for her 2018 portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama, which brought her work to national attention. In paintings like this one, she places everyday Black Americans front and center, giving them the kind of grand, dignified treatment usually reserved for the famous or powerful. The title plays on the idea of the "American sublime," a phrase once used to describe the awe of vast landscapes and national pride. Here, that sense of belonging and quiet strength rests in a single figure who claims his place in the country's story.