Presidet Trump may have departed the G7 Summit prematurely, but he left with a souvenir he will always cherish. Germany President Angela Merkel shared an image on her Instagram on Saturday that appropriately summed up the conference with the U.S. and its allies.
Trump's presence at the summit in Charlevoix, Canada was obviously contentious. The president has already struggled to preserve America's good standing around the world and made matters worse after he announced tariffs on foreign goods. Trump's visit highlighted his awkward relationship with U.S. allies and his early exit for Singapore, where he will meet with Kim Jong Un, only emphasized his preference for despots as opposed to democratic leaders of industrialized nations.
The photo provided by Merkel perfectly captured the fraught rapport between Trump and the leaders of Japan, France, Germany and the U.K. It also had an uncanny resemblance to paintings by Jon McNaughton, a conservative artist who enjoys portraying Trump as the ultimate patriot. McNaughton has a series of sincere paintings that elevate Trump to the pantheon of great Americans, while his depictions of former President Barack Obama are not as charitable.
This man is taking a knee in the painting, but it is not to protest his country. pic.twitter.com/WN2RqinRga — Jon McNaughton (@McNaughtonArt) September 26, 2017
THIS IS MY FAVORITE JON @McNaughtonArt PAINTING LOOK AT TRUMPS FACE YOU CAN SEE HOW DEEPLY TRUMP LOVES WHAT THE FLAG REPRESENTS AND HE TAKES PROTECTING THOSE VALUES VARY SERIOUS HOLDING HIS LOVE OF OUR PEOPLE CLOSE TO HIS HEART pic.twitter.com/EzTq3BIMZ0
— TRUMP COUNTRY USA (@LauraLeeBordas) March 26, 2018
"Teach a Man to Fish" - THE VIDEOhttps://t.co/0ViWxLodUF pic.twitter.com/ePlIdEGmpN
— Jon McNaughton (@McNaughtonArt) April 26, 2018
it is, especially if you look at Jon McNaughton's other paintings in the series, they tell a progressing story pic.twitter.com/3XSpeTbHu2 — BlurredEdges (@muchmoresalt) August 26, 2017
The photo from the G7 Summit is almost a complete inverse of McNaughton's portraits. Instead of historic Americans surrounding Trump in unadulterated support, the photo from Saturday shows the president encircled by foreign political opponents. His crossed arms and bemused stare will likely play well with Trump's base, just as McNaughton's paintings have delighted conservatives.
This picture will play well for Trump domestically. If you don't understand why, then you haven't been paying attention. pic.twitter.com/HmSwbbKMjp
— Mike (@Doranimated) June 9, 2018
Despite its popularity, McNaughton's propaganda has puzzled art enthusiasts. His work seems more like satire than an earnest rendering of the 45th president. Bradley H. Kramer, an anthropologist who teaches at Utah Valley University in Orem and curates exhibits at Provo’s Writ & Vision bookstore/gallery, told the Salt Lake Tribune as much in a story about McNaughton in March.
“It it looks like a progressive painted it to make fun of respecting the flag at a football game,” Kramer said of the "Respect the Flag" painting. “It looks like it’s making fun of Sean Hannity fans for treating the American flag like Linus treats his security blanket.”
The lack of irony notwithstanding, Trump's critics on Twitter were quick to point out the McNaughton aesthetic in the photo from Saturday.
Wow these Jon McNaughton paintings are getting intense pic.twitter.com/s1fCrc9rJa
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) June 9, 2018
You just know Jon McNaughton is simply going to trace over this photo as it is, but add in Jesus behind Trump. https://t.co/BheYQh1Hi6
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) June 9, 2018
the new mcnaughton painting blows pic.twitter.com/LcGxRmZGNg
— Kilgore Trout (@KT_So_It_Goes) June 9, 2018
Dark magics are turning our reality into a Jon McNaughton painting pic.twitter.com/ey43oOBU5q
— Jason (@longwall26) June 9, 2018
It’s eerie how perfectly this works as a thematically inverted Jon McNaughton painting. pic.twitter.com/EukXxIgp9W
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) June 9, 2018
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