Trump Sells Off Jesus Painting for $2.75M at NYE Party
The fair-skinned, light-eyed figure resembling an AI rendition of the Shroud of Turin was live-painted by a Christian artist in 10 minutes.
Some of us mark the New Year with a kiss or by swallowing 12 grapes for good luck, and others begin anew with the $2.75 million sale of a live-painted likeness of Jesus Christ.
During a New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing figures, President Donald Trump auctioned a blue-eyed Christ likeness created in 10 minutes on stage. In a well-lit performance, Christian worship painter Vanessa Horabuena began the portrait with a bright-yellow cross and ambidextrous brush strokes as a cover of “Hallelujah” and other religious music played in the background.
“There’s a young lady named Vanessa who’s one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world,” Trump reportedly told the audience. “She can paint, slowly, a beautiful portrait for the White House, or she can paint the most incredible painting in literally 10 minutes.”
It is unclear what he was referring to regarding a White House portrait, but Trump replaced a depiction of President Barack Obama with a painting portraying his assassination attempt last year. At the time, Trump had not announced the name of the artist who created the replacement portrait. The president, during the New Year’s Eve performance, went on to say the artist “has done portraits” of him in the White House, and that he had “replaced a lot of people with those portraits.”
The final product was a fair-skinned, light-eyed figure resembling an AI-generated rendition of the Shroud of Turin, which Trump described as “amazing.”
“If I wanted a portrait I would call Vanessa,” Trump remarked to his wealthy audience.
Before the bidding commenced, Trump called out to his sons, Donald and Eric, to name their favorite charities, reportedly announcing that the proceeds of the sale would go to the sheriff’s department and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Trump did not specify the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department, which has assisted the Secret Service in the president’s security.
The final bid of just under $3 million came from an unnamed couple, a drastic price increase from the $15,000–$40,000 Horabuena usually sells her devotional works for.
Also on New Year’s Eve, the White House projected the number "250" and red, white and blue shapes onto the Washington Monument to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Similar projections will be shown nightly through January 5. The White House has repeatedly referenced the country’s 250th birthday in communications with the Smithsonian in its attempts to alter the telling of history in its exhibitions this year.
In some ways, auctioning off a painting of Jesus for millions of dollars is perfectly in line with Trump’s penchant for leaning on religion when it suits him. Some religious commentators and figures have rejected Trump’s policies and actions, including mass deportations, as opposed to Christian values.
Hyperallergic has reached out to Horabuena for comment.
