Jesse's 'Thinker' Spot Lives On

The political portrait is much like an advertisement. A great one can capture the essence of its subject/ brand. Consider the stoic visage of Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington on the $1 bill.

Now consider Stephen Cepello’s official gubernatorial portrait of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. The painting strongly recalls one of the first TV spots of Ventura’s 1998 campaign, which showed him modeling as Rodin’s The Thinker. The ad was meant to turn the former wrestler known as “Jesse the Body” into “Jesse the Mind.”