Back in March, President Trump was gifted a mysterious portrait by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the time, the painting was not revealed to the public.
However, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson during an interview that it was a “beautiful portrait” and President Trump was “clearly touched by it.”
Now, the artist who painted the portrait has finally revealed what it looks like…
The portrait features President Trump defiantly raising his fist in the iconic moment after he survived an assassination attempt on his life last July in Butler, PA.
The artist, Nikas Safronov, who is a famous artist in Russia, said of the painting,
“It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life. He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves.”
You have to see it for yourself:
Wow. The portrait gifted to President Trump by Putin has just been revealed.
This is 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HIxG8ZGAdJ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 22, 2025
Notably, the artist who painted the portrait, Nikas Safronov, refused payment for the piece.
He said he hoped it would be a way to bring the United States and Russia closer.
CNN has more:
The painting gifted to the US president shows Trump raising his fist on stage after the failed assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally in July 2024 and is the work of Nikas Safronov, one of Russia’s most famous artists, the Kremlin confirmed to CNN.
“It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life. He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves,” the artist told CNN in Moscow.
Safronov is no stranger to portraits of world leaders, having painted dozens of global figures including the late Pope Francis, India’s President Narendra Modi and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
For his Trump portrait, Safronov said, he was “visited by some people who said they want me to paint Trump as I see him.” He did not initially know who his “visitors” were, he added, explaining that as a prominent artist, “there are clients who do not go into details” – but he suspected it was the Kremlin.
“When I started the portrait, I realized this could bring our countries closer, and decided not to charge any money because I suspected what this painting was for,” the artist said.
The Daily Beast added:
A Russian artist has unveiled the mystery painting President Vladimir Putin gifted President Donald Trump back in March.
Showcasing the artwork to CNN in Moscow Tuesday, artist Nikas Safronov explained that the Kremlin-commissioned portrait captures the real-life image of Trump raising his fist in the air after the failed assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally in July 2024.
“It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life. He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves,” Safronov told CNN.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed the painting’s receipt in a March interview with Tucker Carlson, where he described it as a “beautiful portrait” that the president was “clearly touched” by.
“President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump which I brought home and delivered to him,” Witkoff said. “It was such a gracious moment.”
Safronov anticipated that the painting could embolden diplomatic relations, telling CNN, “When I started the portrait, I realized this could bring our countries closer, and decided not to charge any money because I suspected what this painting was for.”