Accompanying an article entitled “Michelle Granddaughter of a Slave, Lady of America,” the piece by Karine Percheron-Daniels superimposes the First Lady’s face onto the iconicPortrait d’une négresse by French neoclassical painter Marie-Guillemine Benoist.
The original painting, exhibited six years after the abolition of slavery in France, is meant to symbolize emancipation and empowerment. But many online sneered at the juxtaposition, calling it racist and anachronistic.
For her part, the artist, who has previously portrayed Princess Di, Queen Elizabeth II, and even President Obama in similarly compromising positions, defended her work, saying she was sure FLOTUS herself would love it.