DENVER — The Colorado Springs artist behind a controversial portrait of President Donald Trump that hung at the Colorado State Capitol said her work was not a “purposeful distortion” of the president as he claimed.
The portrait, commissioned by Colorado Republicans in 2019, was painted by Sarah A. Boardman and displayed next to other presidential portraits—some painted by her—inside the Colorado State Capitol Building Rotunda for six years.
However, the painting was removed and relegated to museum storage last month after Trump called the portrait “purposefully distorted” in a March 23 post on Truth Social.
Trump added that Boardman “must have lost her talent as she got older” and posted that he preferred having no portrait in the Colorado Capitol to that one.
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In an emailed statement to Denver7 Saturday, Boardman denied intentionally distorting Trump.
“I completed the portrait accurately, without “purposeful distortion,” political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract,” Boardman said.
Boardman claims Trump’s comments have harmed her business.
“President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I “purposefully distorted” the portrait and that I “must have lost my talent as I got older” are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering,” she said.
Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, has said that the Trump portrait should be replaced with one “that depicts his contemporary likeness.” The process of commissioning a replacement has not yet begun.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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