Rochester Art Review: LET'S TALK ABOUT PORTRAITS

Let’s talk about portraits. Early this week, President Obama and First Lady Michelle’s “official” portraits were unveiled and they soaked up all the media conversation for about 12 hours. Then came another school shooting, another dozen children’s lives squandered at the whim of a 19 year old with a gun and more “thoughts and prayers” by our Country’s leaders.

THE MOST FAMOUS SMILE IN THE WORLD

So, while our hearts break, let’s talk about portraits.

I began this session with a plan to write a scholarly piece on portraiture, i.e. the first portraits probably done around 1000 b.c. in China, into the Renaissance and the most famous portrait in the world and the most reproduced, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo daVinci (painted between 1503 - 1517. Mona currently hangs in the Louvre Museum, Paris, and is insured for $800 million.)

Charles Dickens wrote that “there are only two styles of portrait paintings - the serious and the smirk” - awfully cynical! Gordon Ayman said “..the eyes are the only place one looks for…reliable, pertinent information (in any portrait.)”

Painters attempt (usually) to capture the “inner essence of the subject - not a literal likeness” and nearly always the subject (or those judging the likeness) claims that the painter fell short but Gilbert Stuart, when he was critiqued as such, said “You brought me a potato and you expect a peach” which pretty much sums up the chasm between reality and aspiration.

Portraiture has come in and out of fashion over the years; it fell out of style during the early part of the 20th century (with some obvious exceptions: Picasso, Klimt, Frida Kahlo, etc.) and yet, two portraits from those years are among the most loved and recognized in America. “American Gothic” was painted in 1930 by Grant Wood. The “Gothic couple” hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood’s sister and his dentist were his models.

Artist: Grant Wood

The other is “Christina’s World” painted in 1948 by Andrew Wyeth. Christina is owned by the Museum of Modern Art, one of the few portraits that doesn’t show the subject’s face. Wyeth painted Christina with her back to us in the style known as “magic realism.” In 1995, a portrait titled “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping” was sold at a Christies Art Auction for $33.6 million, the most money paid for a work by a living painter. The painting was created by Lucien Freud, Sigmund’s Freud’s grandson. There must be a grain of insight there but I haven’t found it yet.

portrait by Lucien Freud, sold for $33.6 million

As I quickly discovered delving into this topic, there are MANY “official Presidential portraits” produced during each man’s term of office. For instance, one portrait of Bill Clinton was painted by Simmie Lee Knox, the first African American painter to be so honored (I thought that award went to the Obamas' portraitists. In fact, I’m sure it was so stated by the news media and they were wrong.)

William Clinton portrait by Nelson Shanks

I found the Knox portrait and looked for the hidden reference to the sex scandal and the infamous “blue dress”. It isn’t in the Knox portrait; blue dress clue is in the last official Clinton painting done by Nelson Shanks.

Already, there is an official portrait of Donald Trump. At least, Google says it’s an official portrait - fake or not. There isn’t much in it.

I’ve gathered together a bunch of portraits that I happen to like (as well as a few I’ve spoken about here) and let me confess, I ADORE the portrait of Michelle Obama. I like the gown designed by Michelle Smith with it’s reference to the Gee’s Bend quilters, I like that she’s so ethereal - I love the stark blue background. I like it better than the painting of Barack which I find too clever by half.

CHRISTINA'S WORLD