Every once in a while the the well runs dry and you have to look to inspiration to fill it up. I remember seeing in the past Annigoni's remarkable work- most remarkable in that it was done in the 20th century. What I like about Annigoni, was outside of his breathtaking draughtsmanship, his work is still of the 20th century. He bcame famous because of his beautiful portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth. His worst portrait was of John Kennedy, because he was a "fidgety sitter". He was probably one of the last of the major figurative artists to insist on live sittings for portraits. Some in England do. I wish someone from jolly Angleterre would fill me in about those. Nelson Shanks, an American, did President Clinton's from life. However portraiture from life today, especially in America is non-existent or rare.
If you care to learn more about him here are some sites:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPietro_Annigoni&ei=WPc1UbeVC8nC0QHFjIA4&usg=AFQjCNGYd8iSR6b3MX7U_CKMo0xhWY-HNg&sig2=5E3lGxQ5lUwFkB9vzRo3qw&bvm=bv.43148975,d.dmQ
An online exhibit:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPietro_Annigoni&ei=WPc1UbeVC8nC0QHFjIA4&usg=AFQjCNGYd8iSR6b3MX7U_CKMo0xhWY-HNg&sig2=5E3lGxQ5lUwFkB9vzRo3qw&bvm=bv.43148975,d.dmQ
A very informative article:
http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=4367
Enjoy
2 comments:
A place to start to know about British portrait painting is http://www.therp.co.uk/ - looking at the artists work it is fairly easy to see which ones work from life! Freud, of course, did so very famously, as did Euan Uglow for starters although I suppose he's not really famous as a portrait painter . . . .
Thanks Jane,
Love Uglow, I mean to put him on my blog.Freud's portrait of the Queen is- I don't know if you agree with me- a bit hilarious. I don't know if you Brits relate to it but it is telling. The Queen has courage and a respect for the arts- and she SITS for her portraits- all of them.
Thanks for the link. Our portrait painters are mainly photography only- especially for as we call them- 'Botox portraits'. Our clients will not sit and most of the portrait painters are probably just as happy about it- but we have not turned out a Freud or an Uglow either.
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