I was quite surprised to see this portrait of hip hop star and actor LL Cool J in the National Portrait Gallery when I went to get another look at Michelle Obama. I’ve always liked the character he plays on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” but hadn’t realized just how popular he was in other fields. In any case, I thought it was a striking painting.

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Home to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum, the Old Patent Office was constructed in 1838-1867 and encompasses two city blocks. The museums reopened after a major renovation from 2000 to 2006.

We hadn't been to either museum for years, until we went to see an orchid exhibit in the building's atrium, which connects the two museums, last year. As we really only saw the famous Obama portraits on that visit, we decided to go back again and take a closer look. Unfortunately, the museums are so vast, that they couldn't be seen in a day, but I imagine we'll be back for more.

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Unexpected visitor, posted earlier