Melania Trump revealed her official White House portrait on Monday and it shows a powerful image of a first lady in control.
She opted to pose in black and white, a stark contrast to her predecessors in the role, who used bright colors and the familiar settings of the White House to highlight their position as the president’s spouse.
Melania, in contrast, wears a black pantsuit with a crisp, white shirt by Dolce & Gabbana, one of her favorite European designers.
She stands tall, with her hands on a table before her, the Washington Monument visible in the background.
Staring directly at the camera, she dominates the frame with a hint of a challenge in her posture.
Melania Trump revealed her official White House portrait on Monday and it shows a powerful image of a first lady in control
The photo was taken on January 21st, the day after the inauguration, in the Yellow Oval Room of the residence by photographer Régine Mahaux.
Mahaux, a Belgian photographer, is known for her portraits of the Trump family. She also took Melania Trump’s portrait in her first term.
That photo from 2017 is in color. Melania is a soft-lit, with a warm glow around her. She wears a black tuxedo suit and has her arms crossed.
Her second portrait, like her second term, shows, this time, she is more experienced in the role and determined to control how the public sees her.
Other first ladies made use of bright colors and the White House settings in their photos.
Jill Biden wore a bright blue dress for her official portrait.
Michelle Obama wore a black dress with pearls in hers but used the Blue State Room as her backdrop. Laura Bush wore a warm brown suit.
Melania’s photo was taken in her favorite room in the White House: the upstairs Yellow Oval Room.
In her first term, she oversaw extensive redecoration and restoration of that room, along with many others.
In her memoir ‘Melania,’ she said the Yellow Oval Room in the residence was a ‘favorite’ and she designed the rug on the floor.
‘I carefully selected beautiful antiques from the White House collection,’ she noted. ‘I personally designed a custom rug featuring American Beauty roses, blue ribbons and a trellis motif to tie everything together.’
Melania Trump’s first official portrait as first lady during Donald Trump’s first term
The Yellow Oval Room on the second floor that served as the Trumps’ living room and was refurnished by Melania Trump; she designed the rug
In Melania Trump’s first four years in the DC spotlight, she hosted few public events, granted even fewer media interviews and largely remained out of sight.
Now she has a reported $40 million deal with billionaire Jeff Bezos’s Amazon to produce a feature-length documentary and follow-up docuseries about her working life, complete with cameos from husband Donald and son Barron.
Melania is an executive producer on the project. It’s yet unclear how much of the payday will end up in her purse, but the sum is expected to be substantial.
Behind this Melania 2.0, Dailymail.com has been exclusively told, is a new resolve. Melania wants control and what, she believes, she deserves.
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‘Money is her number one priority,’ said a source familiar with the first lady’s thinking.
It’s well known that Melania spent her years between White House stints in a return to the business world.
In December 2021, she sold NFTs – digital artworks collectively titled ‘Melania’s Vision’ and retailing for $150. At least some of the proceeds reportedly went to children and teens exiting the foster care system.
The first lady has also been busy hawking Christmas decorations and jewellery. And there was her eponymous New York Times best-selling memoir, released in July, which she reportedly did not receive a large advance to write, but is likely generating healthy royalty payments.
‘She has always wanted to be seen as a savvy businesswoman,’ the source said.
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