Sharon Sprung, the artist who painted Michelle Obama, works on the Yellen Reuters portrait

Author: Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sharon Sprung, the Brooklyn artist who painted the iconic official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama, has a powerful new female persona: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Yellen, 78, met with Sprung at the Treasury Department shortly after the Nov. 5 presidential election to discuss the portrait and test lighting and poses, the artist said. She went with a piece of Yellen’s silver hair to get the right color.

Once completed in August, the portrait of Yellen, the first woman to head the Treasury Department, will be displayed on the third floor of the historic Treasury building, alongside portraits of her male predecessors, starting with Alexander Hamilton.

Sprung, who also painted Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii, the first woman of color and the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress, told Reuters her goal was to capture the essence of her subjects – many of whom have made history.

“It’s an honor. It’s scary and it’s a commitment. I want to make them strong like male portraits,” Sprung said, noting that she has long respected and admired Yellen, a fellow Brooklyn native.

“She’s pretty cool. I’ve always been very attracted to who she is and how she carries herself, and the fact that she’s a woman in a very masculine environment,” she said. “I’m very impressed with her bravery. She kind of shines smart.”

Rhea Combs, director of curatorial affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, said the portrait will help broaden Americans’ understanding of their history.

“The history of portraiture has favored privileged men — from caretakers to artists — so it’s a real pleasure to see more women and artists of color working in the field to expand portraiture’s role in diversifying the nation’s visual narrative,” she said. he said. “Sharon Sprung is a talented artist and an excellent choice to portray a successful woman like Secretary Janet Yellen.”

The first woman to head the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, Yellen is also the only person to lead all three major economic institutions in the United States – the Treasury Department, the Fed and the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

She reflected on her career during a lifetime service event at the Treasury Department on Friday, saying she came to see “economics not only as a fascinating intellectual pursuit, but as a powerful tool for improving lives and creating opportunities.”

She said she never imagined she would be at the helm of the Ministry of Finance, but she embraced the role and the “drive” wholeheartedly. She plans to do more writing after leaving office, likely returning to the Brookings Institution where she worked after leaving the Fed.

An official portrait will add a certain icing on the cake.

“Sharon is such a talented artist and I am confident she will do a great job. I can’t wait to see it when it’s done,” Yellen said.