The first official White House photo of Melania Trump, released Monday (April 3), is a gauzy, almost airbrushed-looking image that strikes a vastly different tone than recent first-lady images. It was photographed by Belgian Regine Mahaux, who has photographed the Trumps on multiple occasions. While the official portraits of first ladies have traditionally been taken by a White House Photo Office staffer, Mahaux was working as a “guest photographer” with the office, according to the White House.
Official portraits have often been used to frame the wife of the US president as an amiable host for the “People’s House.” Take for example Michelle Obama’s first- term portrait. She stands in the middle of the frame with an open stance, surrounded by the history and details of the White House, which include an arrangement of white flowers. (Her bare arms did draw partisan criticism.)
Laura Bush is seated in an antique chair, looking up in welcome, as if she’s about to invite you in for an afternoon tea. Pink roses provide a soft background.
Betty Ford poses on an outdoor balcony, like she’s taken a pause while offering a tour of the America’s most famous home. Her orange frock stands out against a foreground of yellow mums.
Trumps’s portrait seems apart from any particular connection to the White House as a home or historical site, or even her role as the spouse of the president. But this photo does have historical precedent: the official portrait of Nancy Reagan.
The 40th first lady has become a point of inspiration for Trump, who has also been known to channel Jackie Kennedy. It seems her new portrait, something more akin to an author’s portrait or branding image, is another nod to Reagan. There’s a strong similarity in what we see, from the background—a similar if not the same White House window Reagan was pictured before—to a bow around her neck. And there’s also something strikingly similar about what is not in view in their individual closeups. Where have all the flowers gone?