Is A Topless Photo Of First Lady Michelle Obama Offensive?

Now, before you answer that question, let me give you a little back-story. This seemingly offensive portrait of our First Lady, Michelle Obama, is the cover of a Spanish magazine called “Magazine Fuera de Serie”. The cover is for the feature article entitled, “Michelle Tataranieta De Esclava, Dueña De América,” which discusses Mrs. Obama having lineage linked to slavery to now being the First Lady of the United States. The artist behind the painting, Karine Percheron-Daniels, has done multiple portraits of this nature, using Princess Diana, President Obama, and Abraham Lincoln. Percheron-Daniels, who is also of European decent, described the portraits as “alternative unexpected reality” that allows us to “view famous individuals in a different way.” She also stated:

“I’m sure Obama would love it, and I hope that someday she can see it.”

In a society where ever-so-often, there is some kind of “innocent” racially offensive slip-up (back in December, a Dutch magazine referred to Rihanna as “De Niggabitch”), when is enough enough? Do you feel that this portrait is offensive to the First Lady of the United States, as well as African American women as a whole? Or can it just be passed off as art?

[ClutchMagazine]

–Patrice M.