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Local Artist - Karina Knight reminds us of the art of portrait painting
Portraits – People
Since the earliest times, people have been interested in seeing representations of themselves and others depicted by artists. It is a tradition which has continued to thrive in Britain, undoubtedly encouraged by the renown and exhibitions of artists like Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud; the existence of a wonderful inspiration in the form of the
National Portrait Gallery, London, and the popularisation of the art form through the BP (previously the John Player) Portrait Award.
However, it is no surprise to find that the most famous portrait of all time, the Mona Lisa, is to be found here, in France and we have only to remember the work of Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse to recognise the enormous variety of portraiture that France has engendered, not to mention its profound influence on others. With such an impressive tradition, it is surely time for a revival of interest in portraiture this side of the channel?
Let us start this movement in a small way….
Commissioning a portrait is an exciting venture – usually, people want a likeness – something realistic yet painterly. The client can ask for “warts and all” realism, a
representation free of any personal blemishes - “me if I had a face lift and Botox”, or brave a more abstract interpretation - “me if I had three eyes and my head was square”! However, it is not necessary to go to these extremes to make the portrait “contemporary” – judicious choice of angle, pose, colour, shape and form – all influence the final look and there are many styles of portrait to choose from, from wispy 20’s, chic 30’s, chunky 50’s or even centuries old dark and deep.
A portrait aims to capture the essence of the sitter. Attention is paid to costume and surroundings, both of which can speak volumes about a person’s life, achievements
and even aspirations. The experience of “sitting” (for this read “standing, lying, lounging” or any other pose you fancy!) should be relaxing and convivial - something you will enjoy doing. A drawn or painted portrait
is a very special gift.
Although artists in the 18th century could take up to a year to finish a portrait, it would now only take about a month of the artist’s work for a portrait in oil. There would be 3 or 4 sittings with sketches, colour studies and photographs to aid the work between sittings. Photographs can also be used to complete pictures of the deceased, or of
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