Governor Granholm

Some of Michigan’s governors use their official portrait to communicate the values and achievements of themselves and their administrations. This portrait of Governor Jennifer Granholm can be read as a carefully controlled dissertation about who she is and what she accomplished over the course of her two terms. Artist Charles Pompilius employs a realistic approach to painting Governor Granholm, though many of her features are idealized. Her skin is smooth and evenly toned, her hair perfectly styled, and her suit tailored to fit just right. Granholm stands in a powerful, wide-legged stance and gazes out the window ahead of her with a calm, confident composure. Every aspect of her appearance serves to reassure the viewer that she is in control and has fulfilled her responsibilities with ease.

Working with Pompilius, Granholm ensured that her portrait would communicate a message of hope and success to her viewers by adding in several symbolic elements to her surroundings, many of them related to her pursuit of a greener future. A painting of the Ford River Rouge Plant hangs behind her, nodding to the historic importance of manufacturing in Michigan, while a model wind turbine and Chevy Volt (an electric car) sit on the table in front of her. The shovel in the background alludes to a groundbreaking ceremony for a Holland battery plant, which she attended with President Barack Obama. Even the books on the shelf have been carefully selected to reflect the governor’s values and interests. While the portrait certainly portrays Granholm’s administration symbolically, it could be argued that the controlled addition of so many emblematic objects limits the ability for the governor’s painted likeness to communicate her essence on its own.