Jon McNaughton, The Masterpiece (2019). Courtesy of the artist.
Jon McNaughton, The Masterpiece (2019). Courtesy of the artist.

Jon McNaughton, probably the world’s leading pro-Trump artist, has revealed his latest chef-d’oeuvre to the world—and it’s a doozy. 

The painter took to his social media channels on Tuesday to unveil The Masterpiece, a stately portrait of the commander in chief seated before an easel, a painting palette in hand. Trump is depicted pulling open a red velvet cloth over his newest work—a gesture revealing what McNaughton seems to think is a sophisticated metaphor for Trump’s vision for America’s future. In the bottom corner, we’re treated to a peek at the artist’s magnum opus. And it’s… Monet’s Water Lilies? 

Not surprisingly, Twitter latched on to the painting immediately, dunking on McNaughton like a teen wolf at a high school basketball game. Why is Trump holding an artist’s palette if the painting is finished and covered with a cloth? Who are the people in framed pictures on his desk? Is he painting inside a cathedral? 

But the most pressing question on the internet’s mind is: Is that Trump’s penis holding up the palette?

Photoshopped versions of McNaughton’s work replacing the half-covered Monet mock-up became the meme du jour. One showed Trump unveiling the Bill Clinton-in-a-cocktail-dress painting. Another depicted the Donald divulging his tax returns. In one, he reveals Kehinde Wiley’s official portrait of Obama, while in this one it’s Ronald McDonald.

Others took a darker route, showing detained immigrants, burning crosses, and swastikas—a lot of swastikas.

McNaughton expanded on the meaning of the painting in a video he posted to Youtube. “What does the future hold for America?” the painter asks. “President Trump’s last few years in office have been remarkable. He has changed the direction of this country economically, devastated ISIS, negotiated with countries on the world stage, and been a powerful voice for American ideals. It hasn’t been easy, as he has been blocked by both Republicans and Democrats, trashed by the media, and hunted by the deep state in an attempt to undermine his presidency. But, the ‘painting’ is not finished!”

McNaughton’s portfolio is stuffed with hagiographic allegories of Trump, showing the president doing everything from locking up a white picket fence (a painting aptly titled Make America Safe); cruising on a star-spangled motorcycle (MAGA Ride); and floating through a gator-filled swamp in the style of Washington Crossing the Delaware, with his cabinet dressed up like the cast of Duck Dynasty.

See more of the Masterpiece memes below: