Former Governor Haley Barbour portrait unveiled at Mississippi Capitol

Barbour portrait unveiled at Mississippi Capitol

He also joked about the ceremony itself: “I have noticed people saying, ‘Well, I’m coming to your hanging. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.'”

Spectators applauded as Barbour and Cartmell pulled a black cloth off the painting.

“Bravo! Bravo,” said state Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville. “I love it.”

Cartmell, who has been painting 63 years, said people often ask him how long it takes to complete a portrait. In the case of Barbour, he said, it took “120 hours and 63 years.”

Barbour thanked Cartmell for including images of Mississippi.

“We southerners have a sense of place that’s very important to us in our lives and the way we live our lives,” Barbour said.

Daily Journal
4/3/13