You may not yet know the name Amy Sherald, but you have definitely seen her work. She's the artist who created those iconic portraits of First Lady Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor—two of the most recognizable and significant paintings made by an American artist in recent years. You'll get to see those artworks and much more as The Whitney presents a show titled "Amy Sherald: American Sublime," the artist's first New York museum solo show.
With 50 paintings, the exhibition explores Sherald's career to date, her signature portrait style, and her depictions of American life. Dedicated to American realism and portraiture, her work corrects an evident absence of Black Americans the work of early American realists. In her paintings, Sherald privileges Black Americans as her subjects, depicting everyday people and foregrounding a population often unseen or underrepresented in art history. The exhibition features early works, never-before-seen pieces, and new art created for the exhibition.
The show's on view from April 9–August 10, 2025.