What does a portrait tell us?

Looking at Art:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an exhibition of renaissance portraits called: The Medici: Portraits and Politics. The magnificent paintings and sculptures in the show consist of beautifully dressed, powerful people who were often shown holding a book. The gorgeous rendering of the elaborate clothing often upstaged the faces of these individuals whose facial expressions were neutral, giving nothing away. Printed information about the exhibition explained that artists were to present their subjects as wealthy, powerful and cultured. For this reason, they wore the most expensive attire and were pictured with a book to demonstrate their intellectual prowess.

Another exhibition of Dutch paintings included several portraits made by Rembrandt about 100 years after the Medici works. His portraits deemphasized clothing and focused on the faces, allowing viewers to see the personality of the sitters. All of these portraits tell us about the time in which they were painted, the artists and the individuals in the paintings. What do you look for in a portrait?

Work in the Studio:

A jazz concert I attended, featured a very dynamic female singer. She gestured and moved around the stage as she performed. I took a series of photos of her from far back in the audience. When I painted her portrait, I wanted to capture the feeling she put into her music.

The Jazz Singer