The Monica Lewinsky scandal will continue to follow Bill Clinton around like a shadow—literally.
The painter of the former president's official portrait revealed that the piece features a Monica Lewinsky reference in the form a shadow.
In a recent interview with Philly.com, the artist, Nelson Shanks, said that he put a reference to the scandal in because he just "could never get this Monica thing completely out of my mind" when he was commissioned to paint Clinton in 2006.
Shanks said that on the left side of the painting, he included a shadow below the Oval Office mantle.
"It actually literally represents a shadow from a blue dress that I had on a mannequin, that I had there while I was painting it, but not when he was there," he said. "It is also a bit of a metaphor in that it represents a shadow on the office he held, or on him."
The Pennsylvania artist also called Clinton "probably the most famous liar of all time," giving him another reason to add the reference of the affair into his work.
Clinton is also depicted without his wedding ring in the portrait, which caused some controversy nine years ago when it was first unveiled.
The portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, and Shanks said that Bill and wife Hilary know about the reference and are not fans of the painting.
"And so the Clintons hate the portrait," Shanks said. "They want it removed from the National Portrait Gallery. They're putting a lot of pressure on them."
Clinton's portrait is currently not on display, but Bethany Bentley, the head of communications and public affairs at the National Portrait Gallery, said that it is not because the Clintons insisted it be taken down. Instead, she credited it to the rotation of painting and photos.
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Photo: Mark Wilson | Getty Images
