The National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution has put on display a life-sized oil painting of an army sergeant whose face was badly scarred in a fuel explosion in Iraq.

Among some 49 finalists in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, which recognizes modern portraiture, is Matthew Mitchell’s portrait of Retired Army Sgt. Richard Yarosh.

According to the AP, curator Brandon Fortune says that by portraying a disfigured soldier, wearing an Army T-shirt, in a style historically reserved for military officers or a president, Mitchell democratizes the traditional paintings.

“The portrait is clearly meant to honor him,” he says. “I think that contributes to the gravity of the presentation.”

Yarosh, just 27-years-old, was amazed when he saw the finished work.

“It was perfect. I couldn’t believe that he captured me,” he says. “It captures my pride. I’m proud of the way I look. I’m proud of the reason for the way I look.”