Former US President Barack Obama joked about his ears and gray hair while praising his wife Michelle Obama’s “hotness” at the unveiling of the couple’s official presidential portraits at Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, on Monday. /AFP Photo

Described by CNN as “adept at using culture to communicate with the public in meaningful ways,” the Obamas selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, the first black artists ever commissioned to portray a president or first lady for the Smithsonian. /Reuters Photo

For Obama’s portrait by Wiley, the former president is depicted sitting in a brown chair with a backdrop of lively green leaves dotted with colorful flowers. At the speech given during the unveiling, Obama joked that he tried to negotiate for less gray hair or smaller ears, but Wiley's artistic integrity proved his demands in vain. /Reuters Photo

Sherald’s painting of Michelle Obama shows the former first lady sitting with one hand under her chin and the other draped across her lap, while wearing a long flowing dress decorated with various shapes. /Reuters Photo

The Portrait Gallery’s tradition of commissioning presidential portraits began with former US President George H.W. Bush. /Reuters Photo