Existing comment:
William Jefferson Clinton, born 1946
A key to Bill Clinton's success as president, along with his resilience and personal affability, was his determination to govern through consensus. Major accomplishments such as welfare reform, the first budget surplus since the late 1960s, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and successful US intervention in the Balkans stemmed from this pragmatic viewpoint. Other proposals, which galvanized opposition, such as universal health care, failed. His administration was plagued, however, by charges of real-estate schemes ("Whitewater") dating back to his years as governor of Arkansas and the consequences of an affair with a White House intern. His denial under oath about this relationship led to his impeachment. He was not convicted in the Senate trial, however, and his popularity actually increased as Americans continued to admire Clinton for his political talents, quick intelligence, and determination.
Nelson Shanks, 2005
On March 4, 2015, Nelson Shanks, who painted this piece (which hasn't been on display at the National Portrait Gallery since 2010), said in an interview with Philly.com that the portrait included a subtle reference to the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Regarding the shadow to the left of Clinton, "It actually literally represents a shadow from a blue dress that I had on a mannequin, that I had there while I was painting it, but not when he was there. It is also a bit of a metaphor in that it represents a shadow on the office he held, or on him."
Shanks died August 28 that year. Frankly, I wasn't sorry to see him go. |