Documentary on the Obamas’ portraits coming next month on Smithsonian Channel

A documentary that paints a picture of former President Obama and Michelle Obama’s legacies through their famed pair of portraits will premiere next month on the Smithsonian Channel.

“Picturing the Obamas” will debut on Sep. 10, the cable network announced Wednesday.

In the two-hour special, viewers “will learn from curators, journalists and art critics about the ways in which [the Obamas’] portraits commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery disrupt traditional presidential portraiture and spur museums to reach new audiences.”

The paintings of the ex-commander in chief and first lady, by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, were revealed to much fanfare at the National Portrait Gallery in 2018. The portraits — which drew record attendance to the Washington art museum — have since traveled the country as part of a nationwide exhibition.

“Historical portraits have long been reflections of white men and women in positions of power in their pose and depiction,” Smithsonian Channel said in a news release touting the special. “The Obama portraits are groundbreaking not only because they feature the first Black president and first lady, but also because of the artists behind them,” the announcement said, noting that Wiley and Sherald are both Black.

The “Picturing the Obamas” premiere comes just days after the official White House portraits of the 44th president and his wife are poised to be unveiled next week. With the Obamas on-hand, President Biden is expected to publicly reveal the portraits for the first time at a White House event on Sep. 7.

—Updated at 1:23 p.m.

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