Schwarzenegger Portrait Unveiled At California Capitol
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Arnold Schwarzenegger's official portrait was unveiled on Monday as the former governor returned to California's Capitol.
If having a movie star running the state didn't make enough of an impression, now there is a permanent marker of Schwarzenegger's time in office.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that one day I would be governor," he said, "or that one day there would be a portrait hanging here in the state Capitol. I might have envisioned a sculpture on muscle beach."
Schwarzenegger used Monday's unveiling to thank everyone who worked through his tumultuous tenure.
"There are hundreds, if not thousands who deserve to be remembered for their great work on behalf of the state while i was in office," he said.
The message was delivered to everyone, from his staffers, to furloughed state workers and even the lawmakers who made it through the budget battles.
"We were on the verge of economic collapse in 2009 and we got through it together," said outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.
The Governator chose Austrian Gottfried Helnwein to paint the portrait. It will hang on the third floor of the Capitol, next to the likes of the governor Schwarzenegger replaced, Gray Davis, and the governor who succeeded him, current Gov. Jerry Brown.
Brown's portrait from his first stint as governor is on the unusual side.
"When my father saw my portrait, he was angry, and he said you'll never be elected to another office again," said Brown, who was re-elected nearly 30 years after his last term.
State funds are typically used to commission the portraits, but Schwarzenegger paid for his own painting.