Bush Unveils His Presidential Portrait: "Welcome To My Hanging"

[CatWoman]

Earlier in the day, Bush got a look at how history will remember him _ at least in one artist's view _ as he presided over the unveiling of his portrait at a private club.

"Welcome to my hanging," Bush said, drawing laughs from the well-dressed audience in The Union League's ornate hall.

The portrait shows Bush staring straight ahead, looking comfortable but not quite smiling, against the backdrop of the White House's Treaty Room. The sitting took place in March, when artist Mark Carder took hundreds of photographs to capture details, such as Bush's skin color.

The president put his hands on his hips and eyed the painting when it was unveiled, as if to judge whether Carder got it right. "He did a really fine job with a challenging subject," Bush said.

The club was founded in 1862 to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln. Bush received its gold medal for service to the country and thanked members for honoring Lincoln's life and work.

"I have drawn strength from his example," Bush said.

The portrait was commissioned by the Abraham Lincoln Foundation and paid for with a grant from The Thornton D. and Elizabeth Hooper Foundation, the White House said. Carder has done portraits of such other prominent figures as the president's parents, George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush.

The president said his 83-year-old mother was recovering well from surgery in Houston for a perforated ulcer. "I hope they don't put this on TV, but she's a tough old bird," he said. Barbara Bush was released from the hospital Tuesday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/06/bush-unveils-his-presiden_n_148990.html