I recently viewed the Presidential Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. I was surprised by how often the paintings reinforced my image of each president.
For example, I can see the “malaise” Jimmy Carter spoke about in his portrait, “Silent Cal” Coolidge comes across as a guy to avoid at a party, and Lincoln looks like he’s gone through a horrific ordeal.
The advice of most dating photo selection experts is to smile, show eyes, avoid selfies, dress in high status clothing, and wear bright colors that standout. So which portraits would do best on a dating app?
As you would expect, none of the presidents wear sunglasses and almost all wear suits with ties or military uniforms. But only a few smile. I get why someone with bad teeth like Washington might not smile, but why do Trump and Obama have a scowl or frown?
Why should you smile?
In How to Give Yourself the Edge in Your Dating Profile Picture, Martin Graff Ph.D. lists smiling as the #1-way men can enhance their dating profile.
“…people look more approachable. and friendlier when they smile, which is the impression you are trying to create…
…Surprisingly, however, according to a survey by Dating Scout, only 5% of dating profile pictures of men show them smiling. This may be because men are trying to present their masculine smile…”i
Why Avoid Selfies:
“Besides the distortions caused by this odd design, Clinton’s face takes up too much of portrait like a selfie. It’s too intense and exaggerates his already large nose. On the positive side, he has a nice smile.”
• 2018 CNN article claims taking a selfie from about 12 inches (30cm) away “increases perceived nose size by 30%.”ii
• Selfies are associated with narcissism and self-absorption.
• Testing shows that an overly cropped photo (where head takes up most space) is rated worse. “Too intense.”
• Photos look better at 5 feet (1.5m) than at selfie distance. The difference between two photos of the same man at these distances was dramatic.iii
Clinton’s portrait is not literally a selfie, but it has the same drawbacks as it exaggerates the size of the nose, and his head takes up too much of the portrait.
It’s true art has a subjective quality. Although I don’t care for Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup cans, others see it as groundbreaking. I guess the Clinton portrait is innovative, too, but I see it as a missed opportunity.
Bill Clinton has a serious mind and is considered handsome by most, but his portrait fails to convey both qualities.
Judging solely on “gravitas” and depth of thought, Norman Rockwell’s portrait of Richard Nixon does a far better job of conveying the qualities most desired in a presidential portrait.
Of course, you and I don’t have an artist like Rockwell to paint our portrait, but we can all smile, dress well, and avoid selfies
.
“Notice how the artist uses Nixon’s hands to have him come across as a thinker. Unlike the Clinton portrait, head doesn’t take up too much of the portrait as a selfie would. As the only horizontal portrait in presidential gallery, it’s unique but not in a bizarre way.”
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