WTH! SPANISH MAGAZINE PUTS MICHELLE OBAMA'S FACE ON A BARE BREASTED SLAVE!

Artistic or offensive?

A Spanish magazine this month depicts Michelle Obama as a 19th Century French slave — a controversial move that has left critics wondering if the image choice was more provocative than political.

On the August 2012 cover of Fuera de Serie, the first lady’s face is superimposed over the 1800 "Portrait d'une négresse," by French artist Marie-Guillemine Benoist. The painting depicts a female French slave in a headdress and white gown, one breast exposed.

The painting was finished six years after that nation’s abolition of slavery and has been regarded by art historians as a commentary on both sexism and racism during the time. Some experts see the image a as tribute to emancipation and the beginning of a feminist movement in France.

For its part, the magazine lauds Michelle Obama as the "gran mujer" (great woman) behind her powerful husband.

"In the shadow of the U.S. President is a person whose popularity ratings exceed those of Barack’s own. This person is none other than his wife Michelle… To find out how Michelle has managed to seduce the American people . . . [we] detail the secrets of a woman has not [just] only won the heart of Barack Obama," an except reads.

The photoshopped cover portrait was part of a series of “famous nudes” by artist Karine Percheron-Daniels.

But the image has rankled some, who see it as smacking of racism.

“I find the editorial decision to portray Obama as the embodiment of enslavement and colonization extremely troubling,” writes Althea Legal-Miller in Clutch magazine.



“Let’s be clear: This image has nothing to do with acknowledging Obama’s enslaved foremothers, and everything to do with reinforcing and extending the historical denial of black women’s individuality and agency,” she said.

For her part, artist Percheron-Daniels reportedly said “I’m sure Obama would love it, and I hope that someday she can see it.”

The White House said it had no immediate comment on the issue.




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