Tour: The incredible gallery with all of President George W. Bush’s paintings

By Paul Szoldra From Business Insider

While we got our first glimpse Friday of some of the 24 paintings former President George W. Bush would be displaying at his presidential library in Dallas, Texas, Reuters photographer Brandon Wade has now snapped some pictures of many more.

Bush, who took up painting as a hobby after he left office, is showing off his collection at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in an exhibit titled “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy.”

Inside the exhibit, which opened on Saturday, are 24 portraits of world leaders — all of whom, Bush says, have never seen them before.

Take a look:

#1 Visitors are first greeted with a self-portrait of Bush himself, along with one of his father and 41st President George H. W. Bush.

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#2 Then there’s one of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Bush described on the “Today Show” as a “person who in many ways viewed America as an enemy. I tried, of course, to dispel him of that notion.”

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#3 Here’s one of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#4 The Dalai Lama:

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#5 The portrait of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is surrounded by photos of their various meetings. Bush said his portrait conveyed a strong and “passionate” person and a “reliable friend.”

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#6 And German Chancellor Angela Merkel:

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

#7Another wall displays four different world leaders, including (clockwise from top-

left) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former French President (2007-2012) Nicolas Sarkozy and former South Korean President (2008-2013) Lee Myung-bak.

REUTERS/Brandon Wade

For more on this story with extra painings go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/bush-painting-photos-2014-4#ixzz2y8eTUPBH