African Lily
Official Portrait of Barack Obama, 2018
Kehinde Wiley
Oil on Canvas
National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
In the official portrait of the 44th president of the United States painted by Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama is surrounded by botanical symbolism that is meant to tell the life and history of the nation’s first African-American president. Each flower relates to a part of Obama's life— the lily his father's heritage, jasmine his Hawaiian birthplace, chrysanthemum his life in Chicago, and rosebuds for the universal symbol for love and courage. These flowers provide a well-cultivated and prosperous life, yet occasionally tangled and full of challenges. Focusing on the lily, the purple and indigo flower around his feet is known as the Lily of the Nile.
The Agapanthus is commonly known as the Lily of the Nile, African Blue Lily, and African Lily. This flower is native to South Africa which spreads across the Western and Eastern Cape of the country, not near the Nile River. The Agapanthus plant shares the name of African lilies with many hybrids from this species which has led to some of these hybrids to be native to other places like South America, Australia, and Mexico. The word Agapanthus comes from the Greek words for flower (anthos) and love (agapé). There is no apparent reason for this combination of words, but it could be interpreted as ‘lovely flower’ or ‘flower of love.’
The beauty and ornamental qualities of this flowering plant have led it to be grown and cultivated around the globe since the 17th century starting In Europe. African lilies are perennial flowers that are known for their lily-like blooms that come in bell-shaped clusters and for their evergreen strappy leaves and grass-like foliage. The Lily of the Nile is from the family called Amaryllidaceae, to which makes them related to the daffodils species. This lily is a colorful and fragrant flower that can survive in very extreme conditions such as a full-day sun. It is known to be strong and hearty plants.
The Lily of the Nile is believed to be both medicinal and magical. It is the plant of fertility and pregnancy, being used as traditional medicine for medication taken during pregnancy and is worn by women as a charm to bring strong, healthy babies. It is also used to treat heart disease, paralysis, coughs, chest pains and chest tightness. It is also worn by people who fear thunderstorms, as it is believed to ward off thunder.
As we look into the purple African Lily in this painting we notice that it is mostly surrounded by his feet, there could be a correlation to his roots to Africa and his grounded nature to who he is and what he represents.
We feel that he is grounded to his roots.