The Secretary of State by Luc Tuymans -2005

 In 2005, Condoleezza Rice stepped down from her position as National Security Advisor to replace Colin Powel as Secretary of State.  Later that year, Rice was named Most Powerful Woman by Forbes Magazine.  According to the MoMA, the faded nature of the picture is to signify her place in history and it will be there forever.  Many of the focal points of the picture are said to not focus on her color or gender.  The close up image is supposed to intensify the fact that she is now of further political power but a media image.  The fading and the white texture is supposed to represent her place in history as if the painting has aged with time.