If portraits served the purpose of simply recording physical appearance, then painting would have been made redundant with the earliest developments of photography. Instead, the opposite is true: in the age of accurate representation through photography the subtlety and importance of the portrait has become more apparent. We all know that within minutes a burst of photography can yield results that range from unflattering to unrecognizable, to downright frightening! When we think of the faces of those we love—are we thinking of a frozen arrangement of features? Or do we think of a thousand fleeting expressions, and the way a characteristic lift of an eyebrow speaks volumes, or the way a smile can convey joy…and a hint of sadness, at the same time?
When an artist confronts what is arguably the most challenging subject, to create a portrait, a very intimate process of acquaintance begins. The model is not an inanimate object, but gazes backat the artist, maybe grows bored, or lets their mind wander…or engages with the artist and becomes enthusiastic—so many possible interactions that change the artist’s perception of his subject. All of these possibilities will affect the way the artist interprets the person sitting for their portrait. The magical aspect of this interaction is that the impermanent is being made permanent—the fleeting mood, the passing moment, and the briefest instance of a person’s life is being captured for the ages. Life may change quite dramatically over time, but regardless of how many centuries pass the painted portrait remains fresh, the character and personality it reveals are wordlessly communicating with us as if no time had passed at all. Portraits can take us through time to other worlds, other places, and show us the universals of human life in a vastly different context.
