Beyoncé portrait to be displayed at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

A historic portrait of Beyoncé by photographer Tyler Mitchell will be featured on display and placed in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

The portrait was one of several Mitchell took for the cover of Vogue’s September 2018, issue. It marked the first time an African American photographer’s image appeared on the magazine’s cover.

“A year ago today we broke the flood gates open,” Mitchell tweeted Tuesday. “Now I’m glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.”

A year ago today we broke the flood gates open

Now I’m glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection pic.twitter.com/T97rHU9u8J

— Tyler Mitchell (@Tyler_Mitchell_) August 6, 2019 

The National Portrait Gallery quickly tweeted a reply: “We’re just so crazy in love with her that we had to do it! We look forward to adding this new work to our collection.”

We’re just so crazy in love with her that we had to do it! ✨ We look forward to adding this new work to our collection. pic.twitter.com/kXsp1G5kxR

— National Portrait Gallery (@smithsoniannpg) August 6, 2019

{mosads}“When I first started, 21 years ago, I was told that it was hard for me to get onto covers of magazines because black people did not sell,” Beyoncé wrote in the photos’ extended captions in Vogue.

“Clearly that has been proven a myth,” she added. “Not only is an African American on the cover of the most important month for Vogue, this is the first ever Vogue cover shot by an African American photographer.”

It is unclear when the image will go on display in the Washington, D.C., museum.

Updated at 1:31 p.m.