The Smithsonian has acquired a renowned painting of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency room technician killed in her home by police last year, and will display it for the public beginning this weekend.
The portrait sits framed in glass under the spotlight in a dimly lit gallery on the fourth floor of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
It’s the only piece of art in the room, captivating your gaze as part of the “Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience.” exhibit opening Friday.
The exhibition space explores the Black Lives Matter movement, violence against African Americans, and how art depicts Black resistance, resilience, and protest, according to the Smithsonian’s website.
The creator, Amy Sherald, painted Taylor wearing a gown, adorning her hand with the engagement ring her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who police also shot that night, intended to give her before she died, the Washington Post reported. The image may be familiar to some who saw it grace the cover of Vanity Fair in September 2020.
Sherald is best known for her portrait of Michelle Obama displayed in the National Portrait Gallery. The artist said she would donate the money she made from selling Taylor’s portrait to causes that promote social justice and equality.
Friday also marks the fifth anniversary of the NMAAHC, the newest Smithsonian museum.
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