Portraits, like real people, are demanding. They require not just face-to-face interaction, but deep contemplation of how the artists have brought their sitters to life.

I recently contributed an essay to a new book "The Obama Portraits," which explores the impact -- and unprecedented popularity -- of Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald's portraits of former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. An estimated 4 million people have flocked to the National Portrait Gallery, to see the two artworks, essentially doubling the museum's attendance since they were unveiled in 2018.

 

One online review of Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama offers one theory: "The colors are stunning and aren't done justice in the digital photography I've seen in the media." As the review suggests, you can't truly experience a portrait until you lift your head away from the device in your hand and look at the real thing. No matter how many reproductions you may have seen online, the original art is always far more profound in person.