Congress Unveils Lantos Portrait by Bedford NY Artist Laurel Boeck

July 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Congressman Tom Lantos, (1928 - 2008) who served as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee 2007-2008, was unveiled in Washington, D.C. recently.   The portrait, painted posthumously by Bedford, NY artist Laurel Stern Boeck, will hang in Congress as a memorial to the legacy of Lantos, an ardent human and animal rights activist.  Lantos, the sole Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, wished to carry  "the noble banner of human rights to every corner of the world."  The portrait features a seated Lantos, holding his beloved poodle.  In the background are visual symbols of his family, his Jewish heritage, his involvement with foreign affairs, and Raul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who sheltered many Hungarian Jews including Lantos and his wife Annette, during the Nazi occupation.

   “It is an honor and a privilege to be playing even a small role in the legacy of Tom Lantos,” said Boeck, who was selected by the Lantos Foundation to paint the portrait.  She added, “It is not easy to capture the essence of someone you never met, but with the help of the entire Lantos family it was possible to convey the remarkable character of Tom--a man who was both courageous and compassionate --full of confidence, warmth and intelligence.”  The Lantos Foundation, based in New Hampshire, continues the work begun by Congressman Lantos by reaching out to individuals and groups around the world on the front lines of human rights struggles through its programs, grants and prizes.