{"id":91,"date":"2025-04-28T12:55:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T19:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/?p=91"},"modified":"2025-05-05T07:24:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T14:24:25","slug":"portrait-of-a-protest-theft-power-and-the-politics-of-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/2025\/04\/28\/portrait-of-a-protest-theft-power-and-the-politics-of-display\/","title":{"rendered":"Portrait of a Protest: Theft, Power, and the Politics of Display"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Symbol Worth Stealing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a painting disappears, whose story finally shows up?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Item of interest- General Andrew Jackson Portrait<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
General Andrew Jackson<\/summary>\n

Waldo, Samuel Lovett. General Andrew Jackson. 1819. Oil on canvas, 25 3\/4 x 21 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession No. 06.197.
https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/13093.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

The Heist: Not for Profit\u2014For Protest<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In a fictional act of resistance, General Andrew Jackson<\/em> vanishes from the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But this isn\u2019t your average art theft, it\u2019s a symbolic rebellion. This imagined heist takes aim not at the art itself, but at the glorification of violence, colonization, and the myths institutions choose to preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Painted in 1819 by Samuel Lovett Waldo, the portrait predates Jackson\u2019s presidency but contributes to a larger narrative of mythmaking. Museums present Jackson as a hero, quietly brushing aside his policies of Indigenous removal, voter suppression, and white nationalist ideology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward, and the same oppressive ideologies linger, repackaged in modern politics, echoed by figures like Donald Trump, who openly admired Jackson\u2019s \u201ctoughness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

One Story Among Many<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Diary Entry \u2014 Night Before

April 25, 2025

Tomorrow, it finally happens.

I\u2019ve spent months walking these halls, memorizing patrols, cameras, schedules, watching the museum tell a story I don\u2019t recognize. They hang portraits like Jackson\u2019s and call it history, but it\u2019s not just the past. His way of thinking never left. The same policies of exclusion, the same worship of power, just dressed up in different words.

I was nineteen when everything changed. My parents were detained at work, picked up at the warehouse they\u2019d been at for a decade. No warnings, no chance to say goodbye. They weren\u2019t criminals. They were just immigrants.

Under the Trump administration, it wasn\u2019t just immigration raids. Funding cuts came fast and hard. SNAP benefits slashed. Housing assistance programs gutted. Health care access stripped away from families like mine. I lost my tuition support the same year. My world shrank overnight.

Meanwhile, people walked these marble halls, smiling in front of paintings that celebrate men who built systems just like the one tearing us apart.

That\u2019s why tomorrow matters. Not for revenge. Not for profit. For the silence that needs to be broken.

At 2:16 PM, the staged emergency at the Temple of Dendur will pull security away. I\u2019ll stay behind, overseeing the \"evacuation\" upstairs. The cameras will loop for two minutes, just enough time. I\u2019ll swap out the Jackson portrait for the replica we prepared. The real one will be hidden in a custodial cart and rolled out through the loading dock.

By the time they realize anything\u2019s missing, we\u2019ll be long gone.

No demands. No public claims. Just an empty frame, and a space that finally speaks louder than the lies hung around it.
<\/pre>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Museums and the Politics of Display<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Museums shape history as much by what they show as by what they choose to hide. Behind every exhibit lies a series of decisions, what to include, how to present it, and what to leave out; each influenced by factors such as funding, institutional priorities, political pressures, and cultural values. These choices determine which stories are highlighted, whose voices are heard, and which narratives are silenced or ignored. As a result, museums do not merely preserve the past; they actively participate in shaping public memory and cultural identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Portraits as Tools of Mythmaking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portraits like Samuel Lovett Waldo\u2019s painting of Andrew Jackson don’t just document, they mythologize. They turn deeply violent, exclusionary figures into sanitized national heroes. Without critical context, such works romanticize colonialism, white nationalism, and systemic oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
White Nationalism<\/summary>\n
Anderson, Nick.<\/strong> White Nationalism published on March 18, 2019<\/em>. The Washington Post<\/em>, 18 Mar. 2019, 5:00 PM PDT.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
Donor Power and Institutional Complicity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Met relies on the patronage of billionaires with controversial legacies. Donors like Leon Black (tied to Jeffrey Epstein), Aby Rosen (embroiled in legal disputes), David Koch (anti-environmental policies), Jeff Bezos (labor exploitation), and Donald Trump (nationalist politics) don’t just fund the museum; they shape what is preserved, erased, and celebrated. When museums stay silent about their donors and subjects, they aren’t neutral; they actively endorse systems of power and erasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Politics of Erasure and Preservation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
When museums glorify figures like Jackson without acknowledging their violent legacies, they help erase the suffering of marginalized groups. This selective memory allows ongoing systems of oppression to flourish under the guise of heritage and patriotism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Careless Monster<\/em><\/summary>\n
Luckovich, Mike.<\/strong> Careless Monster.<\/em> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em>, 18 Feb. 2025, Opinion section.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
Resistance Through Reclamation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acts of protest challenge the sanitized histories that museums present. They demand accountability, question the legitimacy of dominant narratives, and create space for new, more inclusive histories to emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Hands Off!<\/summary>\n
<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Not Ancient History: It\u2019s Now<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
The Great Silence<\/em><\/summary>\n
Block, Herbert.<\/strong> The Great Silence.<\/em> 31 Oct. 1972, Herbert L. Block Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Digital ID: LC-DIG-hlb-08083<\/a>. Accessed 4 May 2025.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
The values Andrew Jackson represented, exclusion, white nationalism, unchecked executive power, and the suppression of dissent, are not relics of the past. They have simply taken new forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Donald Trump openly celebrated Jackson\u2019s “toughness,” displayed his portrait in the Oval Office, and adopted aspects of his leadership style. But the real impact of Jackson\u2019s legacy is visible today, not just in symbols, but in active policies and systems of power.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n
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Voter Suppression Laws:<\/strong> <\/summary>\n
Restrictive voting laws in states like Georgia, Texas, and Florida disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and immigrant voters, shrinking political power just like Jackson\u2019s era of exclusion.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
Restrictions on Free Speech and Protest<\/strong><\/summary>\n
Lawsuits and Legal Actions: Trump has filed multiple defamation lawsuits against media outlets like CBS, The New York Times, and Penguin Random House for critical coverage. These actions raise concerns about press freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory Pressures: Under Trump-appointed officials, media mergers and settlements have been influenced, with some critics fearing political pressure on media outlets to avoid legal disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Press Access and Credibility: Trump revoked press credentials from outlets he deemed unfavorable, such as The Washington Post and BuzzFeed. He also frequently called critical media outlets “fake news” and threatened to weaken libel laws to make it easier to sue journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Broader Implications: These actions have led to concerns about undermining press freedom. Supporters view it as challenging biased reporting, while critics argue it suppresses dissenting voices.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Civil Rights Rollbacks<\/strong><\/summary>\n
Efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act and ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federal workplaces and schools have stripped away protections for marginalized communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These rollbacks aim to silence conversations about systemic racism, gender discrimination, and historical injustice \u2014 making it harder to challenge the power structures that Jackson\u2019s legacy helped build.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
Weakened Tribal Sovereignty<\/strong><\/summary>\n
Rolling back Indigenous land protections for oil pipelines and development mirrors historical displacement.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Family Separation at the Border<\/strong><\/summary>\n
 “Zero Tolerance” immigration policies led to mass family separations, using displacement as a weapon.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
Control Over Educational Institutions<\/strong><\/summary>\n
Laws in states like Florida (Stop W.O.K.E. Act<\/em>, “Don\u2019t Say Gay” law) and Texas now limit what teachers and professors can say about race, systemic injustice, and LGBTQ+ identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Book bans and curriculum restrictions attempt to erase uncomfortable histories and prevent students from learning the full truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Universities face political pressure to censor discussions about racism, colonialism, and oppression, silencing critical voices and rewriting public memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reclaiming the Story<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Museums don\u2019t just preserve history, they protect the power of the few. Every portrait they glorify, every truth they bury, is a reminder of who they think deserves to be remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the real power has never lived inside museum walls.
It lives with the people, with those who have been silenced, displaced, erased, and yet still rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We don\u2019t need permission to reclaim our history.
We don’t need institutions to validate our stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, we can tear down the false idols, lift up the voices they tried to silence, and rebuild a history that belongs to everyone, not just the powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
History is not theirs to keep.
It\u2019s ours to take back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Citations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Barnicle, Colin, director. This Is a Robbery: The World\u2019s Biggest Art Heist<\/em>. Performance by Myles Connor et al., Netflix, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blanch\u00e9, Ulrich. Banksy: Urban Art in a Material World<\/em>. Tectum Verlag, 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bregman, Alexandra. \u201cSlasher Mary: A Brief Introduction to Political Vandalism in Museums.\u201d Forbes<\/em>, 30 Nov. 2022, www.forbes.com\/sites\/alexandrabregman\/2022\/11\/30\/slasher-mary-a-brief-introduction-to-political-vandalism-in-museums\/<\/a>. Accessed 09 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Burns, Charlotte. \u201cStolen for the People? The Curious Politics of Art Theft.\u201d The Art Newspaper<\/em>, 17 Sept. 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chayka, Kyle. \u201cLeon Black and the Stench of Jeffrey Epstein.\u201d New York Magazine<\/em>, 26 Jan. 2021, https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2021\/01\/apollo-ceo-leon-black-gave-jeffrey-epstein-usd158-million.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Charney, Noah. The Art of Forgery: The Minds, Motives, and Methods of Master Forgers<\/em>. Phaidon Press, 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conklin, John E. Art Crime<\/em>. Praeger, 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cumming, Laura. \u201cFeminist Art Vandals: The Political Attacks on Museums and What They Mean.\u201d The Guardian<\/em>, 5 Mar. 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Geiger, Daniel. \u201cCooper Union Wins Chrysler Building Legal Battle with Aby Rosen.\u201d New York Post<\/em>, 2 Feb. 2025, https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/02\/02\/business\/cooper-union-wins-feud-with-aby-rosen-over-chrysler-building\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grindon, Gavin. \u201cCurating with Counterpowers.\u201d Journal of Aesthetics & Protest<\/em>, no. 10, 2017, https:\/\/joaap.org\/issue10\/grindon.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Block, Herbert. The Great Silence<\/em>. 31 Oct. 1972, Herbert L. Block Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. Digital ID: LC-DIG-hlb-08083. Accessed 4 May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holland, Jack, and Ben Fermor. \u201cThe Discursive Hegemony of Trump\u2019s Jacksonian Populism: Race, Class, and Gender in Constructions and Contestations of US National Identity, 2016\u20132018.\u201d Millennium: Journal of International Studies<\/em>, vol. 49, no. 1, Feb. 2021, pp. 50\u201379. SAGE Publications, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0263395720936867<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kennedy, Randy. \u201cWhen Art Vandals Strike for a Cause.\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, 10 Aug. 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyons, Scott Richard. X-Marks: Native Signatures of Assent<\/em>. University of Minnesota Press, 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meacham, Jon. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House<\/em>. Random House, 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reynolds-Kaye, Jennifer. \u201cMoving beyond \u2018Pale and Male\u2019: A Museum Educator\u2019s Approach to the Campus Portrait Debate.\u201d Teachable Monuments: Using Public Art to Spark Dialogue and Confront Controversy<\/em>, edited by Sierra Rooney, Jennifer Wingate, and Harriet F. Senie, Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2021, pp. 51\u201362.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spiel, Robert E. Art Theft and Forgery Investigation: The Complete Field Manual<\/em>. Charles C. Thomas, 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Great Art Robbery: How Stolen Masterpieces Become Political Statements<\/em>. BBC Studios, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Metropolitan Museum of Art: Donors of Funds for Acquisition.\u201d The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/em>, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/support\/donors-of-funds-for-acquisition<\/a>. Accessed 02 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Met: About the Museum.\u201d The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/em>, https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/about-the-met<\/a>. Accessed 02 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Interactive Map<\/em>. The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/em>, https:\/\/maps.metmuseum.org\/?floor=1&lang=en-GB#18.35\/40.780502\/-73.96329\/-61<\/a>. Accessed 02 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waldo, Samuel Lovett. General Andrew Jackson<\/em>. 1819. Oil on canvas, 25 3\/4 x 21 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession No. 06.197. https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/13093<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wu, Chin-Tao. Privatising Culture: Corporate Art Intervention Since the 1980s<\/em>. Verso, 2002.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Symbol Worth Stealing When a painting disappears, whose story finally shows up? Item of interest- General Andrew Jackson Portrait The Heist: Not for Profit\u2014For Protest In a fictional act of resistance, General Andrew Jackson vanishes from the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But this isn\u2019t your average art theft, it\u2019s a symbolic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theft","tag-completed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1601,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions\/1601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ac.nau.edu\/artcrime\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}