Official Portrait of Giuliani Unconvincing To Many

A new official portrait of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was unveiled at a ceremony inside City Hall this week. The portrait, which was made over several sittings in 2006 by Everett Raymond Kinstler, shows Giuliani in a dark pinstripe suit, a tribute to the New York Yankees. But some people have had trouble picking up on that subtle detail—actually, people have had trouble recognizing it is Giuliani altogether.

According to some people polled randomly by the Daily News, it looks more like 38th President Gerald Ford. Maybe Kinstler didn't quite capture the 9/11 glow in Giuliani's cheeks well enough. "He looks a little too thin to be Giuliani, but they always try to make paintings look flattering," said Stephen Braun. We would say it looks more like a Giuliani/John Lithgow hybrid, but everyone's a critic: Giuliani himself said he would have preferred to be painted in a full Yankees uniform, or not at all. "I'm superstitious about portraits; they're for dead people," he said.

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By Ben Yakas in News on October 28, 2010 12:18 PM

Comments [rss]

Manitoba

Needs more shellacked elephant dung...

Manitoba

Looks like Harry Truman without glasses

Brooklyn Book Worm

I'm with JW: the Mayoral Rudy had a comb-over. Gail Collins noted that he had the rare talent of making his own hair look like a toupee. (It was his current wife who persuaded him to abandon it.) I'm also amused to see his left hand hidden. I guess three wedding rings would be ostentatious.

Wza

lol@the comments.

Portrait looks more like Peter Vallone Jr..

Guest

i smell another photo contest coming, with this picture a la Sad Rat in sidewalk.

http://gothamist.com/2009/10/24/sad_rat_in_sidewalk_forever.php

justthinkin

The arrtist left out the horns on his head.

Dirk

I'm surprised Giuliani didn't insist on having the burning Twin Towers in the background.

Guest

He did...I guess they felt it was in bad taste and went with a more traditional one.

http://twitpic.com/31mujx

Dirk

That's more like it.

amsci

Darn, ya beat me to it. :)

cronegirl

You are so right!!!

SP's Ghost

The smile reminds me of Christopher Walken. Giulinai never has such a genuine, relaxed and endearing smile like that. When he does smile it reveals his reptilian fangs and the look is one of smug self satisfaction, or one of a scavenger about to gorge itself on an old rotting pile of carrion.