Aside from a much-publicized joke about Sean Spicer’s weight in June, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon hasn’t said or done anything to warrant media scrutiny as of late. The reasons for the Seinfeld millionaire‘s sudden absence from the spotlight are legend, though as a recent New York magazine profile argues, the most relevant explanation for Bannon’s return is the fact that he’s “back in his boss’s good graces.” President Donald Trump, it would seem, is no longer siding with Chief of Staff Reince Priebus or Senior Advisor (and son-in-law) Jared Kushner as often these days. (For reference, see Twitter.)
As informative and necessary as Joshua Green’s New York profile is, however, other outlets are stumbling over themselves at a minor revelation about Bannon’s office in its second section. That’s because the former Breitbart executive apparently has a rather interesting decoration adorning the wall of his study, which he received as a gift from none other than “Mr. Brexit” himself, Nigel Farage:
On his office wall hung an oil painting of Bannon dressed as Napoleon in his study at the Tuileries, done in the style of Jacques-Louis David’s famous neoclassical painting — a gift from Nigel Farage.
The David portrait in question, which the artist painted in 1812, currently hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Interestingly enough, if Trump’s proposed budget garners total approval from Congress, its massive cuts for the National Endowment for the Arts would likely prove detrimental for public facilities like the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian and others. But hey, at least the guy who became a “person of interest” in the ever-expanding Russia probe can afford to gift a newfound Washington insider like Bannon with such pristine cultural artifacts.
(Via New York)