Melania Trump's First Official Portrait Is Here And It's Very Controversial

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Melania Trump's First Official Portrait Is Here And It's Very Controversial

Melania Trump is no stranger to being in front of the camera.

The Slovenian-born First Lady was a professional model prior to marrying President Trump. She's worked with some of the world's best photographers and has appeared on covers of popular magazines.

This week she proved to the world that her posing skills haven't faded yet in her first official White House portrait.

The picture which was released on Tuesday was taken taken by celebrity photographer Regine Mahaux and it is noticeably different from past first lady portraits.

Unlike the past first ladies like Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, Melania appears to be "smizing" rather than actually smiling in the photograph. She also opted for an all-black power suit with her arms crossed while flashing a massive 25-carat diamond ring.

The 46-year-old's portrait was accompanied by her biography on the White House official website which lists her accomplishments such as gracing the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, her philanthropic work including her success as the Chairwoman for The American Heart Association which raised "$1.7 Million for research," and finally her plans as First Lady to help with issues that impact women and children.

The release of the photo has stirred a media frenzy and has elicited some strong opinions from people across the nation.

Ryuji Suzuki of Beaupix Studio told the Boston Globe that "There are different opinions about people crossing their arms in portraits." He added, "If you do it right, you might add a powerful impression, but it often gives you distance. If you want to be friendly and approachable you probably wouldn't pose like this."

While Kate Andersen Brower, author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies" said that the placement of the diamond didn't seem to have been well thought out. "You would think that she, or her handlers, although there aren't that many, would look at the very prominent placement of this giant diamond ring, and you would think that would give them pause," Brower said. "The president's message is about getting jobs for working-class voters."

Some Twitter users also didn't seem too pleased with the new photo of the FLOTUS.

On the other hand, plenty of supporters also voiced their opinion and showered Melania with praises

If you'd like to see how Melania's photo compares to past FLOTUS portraits, you can browse the gallery on the White House Historical Association website here.

What do you think of the photograph?

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.