Rick Kimberly, an Iowa farmer of 4,000 acres about 20 miles outside of the state capital of Des Moines, has become a celebrity of sorts, thanks to a visit to his homestead by then vice-president Xi Jinping in February 2012.

In his modest one-story farmhouse, Kimberly welcomed a few Chinese guests on March 28, apologizing for the absence of his wife, Martha, due to a work engagement.

The guests were immediately drawn to an oil painting prominently displayed on a fireplace mantel in the living room. The painting depicts the meeting of Xi and Kimberly in the room five years ago.