The White House asked the Guggenheim to borrow Vincent van Gogh’s Landscape with Snow for the president and first lady’s private living quarters and they kindly offered something else from the museum instead. Since they could not go #1, they were hoping he would go for #2.
According to The Washington Post, the curator, Nancy Spector, offered him their art piece called America. Sounds fitting for 1600 Pennsylvania, but it is more appropriate for his Manhattan penthouse. What is it? A fully functioning 18-karat solid gold toilet. We have heard that he likes golden showers, so this the next best thing. Right?
Personally, I do not know why they did not give him a copy of the painting. Afterall it is rumored that he has a copy of another famous painting in his Manhattan apartment that he claims is real.
One more thing, while on paper the request seems extremely absurd, the newspaper says that it is not unprecedented for presidents to borrow major artwork. Which sounds crazy, but hey if you are the president of the United States it does not hurt to ask. Unless you are Donald Trump, then it does.
