The portrait of the late U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, the son of a tenant farmer, who owns the existence of the Old Testament and became a strong supporter of his beloved Baltimore, will be on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art on December 22.

This portrait was commissioned by the congressman’s widow Maya Rockymore Cummings and painted by the up-and-coming Baltimore artist Jerrell Gibbs, who was selected from 30 applicants Famous project.

The portrait will be exhibited in Baltimore until January 9, before moving to his permanent residence in the U.S. Capitol.

Cummings represents Maryland's 7th District on behalf of Maryland's 7th District and fights for his voters on issues ranging from voting rights to gun control to reforming the criminal justice system. He was a key figure in the first impeachment of former U.S. President Donald Trump and a strong advocate of peace during the uprising after Freddie Gray died in police custody in 2015.

The congressman died in October 2019 at the age of 68. He died of complications from a long-standing medical problem (including a rare cancer). He became the first African-American to lie in the U.S. Capitol people.

His portrait will be unveiled at a private ceremony on December 21, attended by the family of the late congressman, museum officials and politicians.

"This is a beautiful portrait," Rockeymoore Cummings said. "It conveys Elijah's seriousness, his kindness, and his importance as a staunch defender of our democracy. It captures his essence and treats his memory fairly."

Gibbs, 33, said that he mimicked the portrait on the cover photo of the congressman's suicide note "We are better than this: I fight for the future of our democracy." This political memoir was published 11 months after Cummings died.

In the photo, Cummings is holding a mallet. He stared at the onlookers with the solemnity of the Hebrew prophet of the same name. For the congressman’s wife, this portrait emphasizes her husband’s magnificent hands, which is particularly important.

"They are bigger than life and very expressive," Rockeymoore Cummings said. "A lot of people don't realize that when they receive Elijah's full treatment, they don't just get his voice and facial expressions. They also get his hands."

After a congressional worker reminded her that it was traditional to hang portraits of national figures in the buildings where they had completed their life work, she decided to commission this oil painting at the end of 2020.

Rockeymoore Cummings, who was a trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art, turned to the director of the museum, Christopher Bedford (Christopher Bedford) and his staff to help select the artist. They decided to limit the scope of applicants to black artists from Baltimore.

"Because Elijah is a staunch promoter of Baltimore and believes in the young people in this city and what they offer, we decided to focus on the opportunities to improve Baltimore artists," said Rockeymoore Cummings.

"The way Chris said it was,'We are looking to support the next Amy Sherard.'"

Sherald was a resident of Baltimore when she was chosen to create the official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama. The 2018 painting caused a sensation and made this relatively unknown artist famous in one fell swoop. Recently, her works have been sold for seven-figure prices at auctions.

A committee of Rockeymoore Cummings, museum staff, and community leaders began meeting in March and narrowed the initial list of artist candidates to three finalists: Gibbs, Monica Ikegwu, and Ernest Shaw Jr.

The finalists were asked to submit preliminary sketches to the selection committee. BMA officials subsequently purchased each drawing from Ikegwu, Shaw, and Gibbs for an amount the officials refused to disclose, and added them to the museum's permanent collection.

But the final choice fell on Gibbs, who didn't pick up the paintbrush for the first time until 2015.

"Jerrell's painting style makes him different," Bedford said, and he predicted that Gibbs will have an important career.

"He definitely stands out. He has a way to delve into the subject's feeling and awareness so that the audience can see them immediately and be available emotionally. Jerell doesn't just let you see his subjects. He makes you feel them. , This is very, very difficult to do."

As part of the commission, Parkerville resident Gibbs received a $75,000 allowance.

The artist came late. He was 27 years old and was engaged in two jobs caring for adults with intellectual disabilities. During the slow night shift, he picked up a pencil and started drawing. He texted the sketch to his wife.

"On Father's Day in 2015, my wife gave me painting supplies and an easel," Gibbs said. "I have been running it ever since."

Gibbs went on to study at the Maryland College of Art and received a degree in fine arts in 2020, and has already achieved some success. Since one of his portraits was exhibited in April as part of the BMA exhibition "It's Time: The Latest Acquisition of Contemporary Collections", he has been receiving the attention of Bedford employees.

He is represented by the Chicago-based Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, which will organize a solo exhibition for him in Paris next year. In addition to the BMA, the portrait of Gibbs is also in the permanent collections of museums in Columbus, Ohio, Los Angeles, California, and institutions in Shanghai and Beijing, China.

In order to prepare his portrait of Cummings, Gibbs was immersed in everything he could know about members of Congress. He read his memoirs and other accounts of Cummings' life. He listened to Cummings’ speeches and court meetings he recorded for hours on YouTube. He asked Rocky Moore Cummings questions about her late husband's musical taste and his favorite artist.

He recalled a brief meeting with members of Congress at the inauguration of Catherine Pugh, the former mayor of Baltimore, in 2016.

"I tried to capture his halo," Gibbs said. "He has his presence. When he speaks, people listen. He is stern, but at the same time compassionate and compassionate.

"When he came to talk to us, he acted as if he was just one of them. He didn't enter the space and tried to take it over. On the contrary, he made us feel like he was one of us."