In a time where social media and electronic communication
have become the norm, the idea of commissioning a portrait still seems to be incredibly
alluring, and we thought we would offer a few reasons as to why this might be...
Before technology began its journey to world domination, portraiture
was an invaluable way of documenting historical figures, and transmitting them to
the current, and future, generations. Thomas
Lawrence’s portrait of ‘Queen Charlotte’ (image
below) may not have delivered him the Queen’s favour but it did show us a side
of the monarch which would never have been revealed had Lawrence been more
sensitive to his subject’s vanity. Sadly
the painting was not accepted by his sitter, and the painting remained with Lawrence. From then on he decided to flatter his
sitters a little more in order to keep a constant stream of commissions.
Queen Charlotte, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1789, oil on canvas,
239.5cm x 147cm © National
Gallery, London
Today, with the help of an unlikely accomplice in photography,
portrait painters are less inclined, or socially bound, to flatter their
subjects. Photography and videos
document people daily, and because of this, portraits are naturally compared to photographs of the sitter for verification as to whether the painting is a good likeness. The artist has more pressure
than ever before to paint an accurate representation, or face a rather
short-lived career.
The
Dean of Westminster, by Nick Philipps, Lady,
by Jamie Coreth, oil on canvas, 2016
oil
on canvas, 2012
Photography provides a ‘quick-fix’ kind of portrait which
can be captured by everyone. This has actually increased the popularity of painting a portrait from life by highlighting the rare talent needed to do
this. A method adopted by some of
history’s greatest portraitists, including Titian, Sargent, Velázquez
and Lawrence is the sight-size technique.
The method instructs the artist to place the sitter and the canvas side
by side, allowing the artist to view both from a measured distance and translate
the sitter onto the canvas, checking proportions and accuracy as they go. The
portraits above by Nicky Philipps and Jamie Coreth are two accomplished examples
of modern day practitioners of the sight-size technique. Their portraits are
accurate, full of depth and have a healthy amount of paint applied to them –
another benefit to the method is that the artist gains confidence in using lots
of paint making the portraits more sumptuous with full, dominant brushstrokes. To a sitter, the idea of being painted by an
artist using such a historical technique practised by artists of the past adds more than
just an element of romance, it feels like you are also taking a place in
history. With the speed of every day life constantly
accelerating, there is also a push toward that which is not instantaneous, and
the gentle, organic process of portrait sittings could not embody this more.
Nowadays having a therapist is as normal as having a
bath, and a portrait painter is essentially your therapist with a paint brush. No phones, no gadgets, no internet, just you
and another person in a room talking, listening to music, or sitting in
silence. A rare occurrence in our era,
but somehow even the most high-powered businessmen obey the ‘no phone rule’ and
embrace the peace and quiet for the two hour sessions.
Two portraits of a man, by Rosalie Watkins, oil on canvas,
2014
Rosalie Watkins painted the two portraits of the client
pictured above. Originally only one
portrait was commissioned (the left-hand image) to be a corporate painting for
the client’s company. However during the
sittings the client decided to commission an informal portrait to keep for his
family. They are great examples of how one
person can be painted from life multiple times and, although both physically
resemble the sitter, capture very different sides of his character. For the corporate portrait the sitter chose to
wear office attire and hold work-related documents. He is in ‘business mode’ and this persona
seems to filter into his disposition provoking a more serious facial
expression. The painting style is
tighter which again reflects the more guarded personality, which is also emphasised by the pose, clothing and props. The
second portrait has a looser style.
The sitter’s clothing (he is wearing the same shirt as the first
portrait, but with an open collar) and the softer expression that hints at a
smile, creates a far more informal depiction of the sitter. He is relaxed, and a warmer side of his
character comes through. The client was
happy with both portraits, they each fulfilled the purpose for which they were
painted, and serve as fantastic examples of how well portraits can convey
personalities. Rosalie got to know the
sitter even more during the second set of sittings and this has allowed her to
find a different side of his personality, arguably a more intimate one, very
fitting for a portrait which is to hang in his family home.
‘Celebrity’ has taken on a whole new meaning in the last
century, there are so many of them, all written about and photographed
constantly, yet we still have an insatiable hunger to know more about them, and
portraits provide this. Johnathan Yeo’s
series on Cara Delevingne in 2016, which was displayed at The Museum of
National History at Frederiksborg Castle, in Denmark, portrays the actress in a
variety of poses with different props and outfits.
The paintings allude to the current fascination with ‘the selfie’ and
how obscuring or revealing different parts of the sitter can manipulate the way
in which they are viewed. Yeo’s choice
of a young, upcoming actress who is constantly in the media brought welcome
attention to the world of portraiture and gave it a refreshing, modern feel
which appeals to the younger generations looking to buy, and commission, works of
art.
Three of the nine paintings of Cara Delevingne, by Jonathan
Yeo, 2016 © Jonathan
Yeo
Our last explanation for the increasing interest in contemporary
portraiture is the simple theory that people like to spend their money on a
painting of someone that means something to them. It is two presents in one – a present for oneself,
as well as a present in the form of an experience, for the sitter. Contemporary portraits rebuff the notion
that they are celebrating ancestry. They
shed the sometimes ‘dour’ image which this idea conjures and embrace everything
that is vibrant and expressive about modern painting, while still maintaining
the physical likeness of the sitter. The static stiffness of many past portraits is
replaced by exciting new ones which experiment with different techniques and breathe life into the sitter, while still creating beautiful works of art.
Man, by Sam Wadsworth, oil on canvas, 2015
