The art of portraiture has been around for thousands of years and since we’ve known it, evolved into different artistic styles. Regardless of the medium, it allows for artistic expression and provides a unique view as is seen through the eyes of the artist. Portraits offer an opportunity to show a glimpse not only into the lives of the artists, but also into the culture of its time period. It can provide the viewer with insight into an idea or emotion not conspicuous to the beholder had they not taken the time to internalize and observe the artwork closely. Additionally, portraiture can challenge the status quo and provoke the viewer to reflect on the concepts presented for the purpose of bringing humanity closer. For all intentents and purposes, although the art of portraiture is extensive, I will briefly share with you some artists whose portraits have inspired me the most thus far.

Ana Mendieta

Mendieta’s work explores concepts of identity, spirituality and displacement. She’s mostly known for her "earth-body" series where she makes imprints on the earth with her body and incorporates various ephemeral materials to explore notions of reconnecting to Mother Earth. Mendieta’s work has roots in her personal history as well as her keen interests on the topics of spirituality and religion. In the photo series Untitled (Facial Hair Transplant) (1972), she attached hair trimmings to her face with the intent of examining ideas of gender fluidity. Similarly, in the photo series Glass on Body Imprints (1972), she pressed her face and body unto a glass to distort the figure in such a way that it begins to question societal constructs of gender.

Link to explore images of Mendieta’s work: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-mendieta-ana.htm

Artemisia Gentileschi

During the late-renaissance period, women were expected to paint still life and portraits; however, Gentileschi chose to challenge social norms and push artistic boundaries by painting narratives instead. After her debut Susanna and the Elders, she was raped but this incident became a catalyst for the narratives found in her later paintings. In Gentileschi’s well known painting Judith Slaying Holofernes, the artist depicts herself as an empowered women exacting revenge on her rapist.

Here’s an interesting article about Gentileschi’s life and work: https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/12/12/504821139/long-seen-as-victim-17th-century-italian-painter-emerges-as-feminist-icon

Chuck Close

The art of portraiture was revolutionized with Close’s larger than life photorealistic paintings. In an interview, Close discusses how he was inspired by the “all-over” approach to painting for the reason that he wanted to make every part of a painting equally important. In effect, this idea led him to adopt an extremely large format for his paintings. He also mentioned that he doesn’t like to be categorized as a photorealist or a portrait painter because he is just as concerned with artificiality as with reality and it is more about the tension created by the distribution of marks on a surface. Interestingly enough, his meticulous technique inspired the evolution of inkjet printers.

Link to explore images of Close’s work: http://chuckclose.com/

Frida Kahlo

Autobiographical events were the source of inspiration for Kahlo’s portraiture and although it’s difficult to categorize her unique aesthetic, it is believed that she draws inspiration from a mixture of genres which range from Mexican folk art to surrealism. Through the use of pictorial symbolism, Kahlo revealed a deep array of emotions as well as psychological turmoil. What’s more, her work is embedded into the fabric of contemporary society which has consequently made her into the cultural icon we know today.

Link to explore images of Kahlo’s work: https://www.fridakahlo.org/

Francis Bacon

Bacon’s portraits of disembodied figures explores notions of deforming and reforming reality. In an interview for The South Bank Show, he states that modern man is interested more in sensation or at least the “cut down of conveyance as far as possible so that you just give over the sensation.” In his work, there’s a dialogue with past artworks and although he appreciates paintings from old masters, when he makes a painting, he tries to make “concentrations of images” instead. Through the use of distortion in his figures, skewed perspectives, and a limited color palette, Bacon’s work transformed portrait and figurative painting. 

Link to explore images of Bacon’s work: http://www.francis-bacon.com/artworks/paintings/1970s

Kerry James Marshall

Kerry James Marshall uses art history as a reference for his portraits but does so in a way that innovates these concepts so as to make them new and fresh again. His emphatically black and unapologetic figures redefine the Black identity; they challenge the viewer by illustrating an empowered and satisfied persona in a manner that is unprecedented. From his spatial arrangements to his color palette, the mesmerizing figures are truly an inspiration.

Link to explore images of Marshall’s work: http://www.jackshainman.com/artists/kerryjames-marshall/

Lucian Freud

In his work, Freud aims to suppress emotions such sadness, anger or lust because he believes art should do “what nature does; that is, fill us with wonderment.” Freud’s figures confront the viewer with an uncanny intimacy and although he aims to suppress emotion, the expressive brushstrokes and unsaturated color palette in his later work lends itself to explore issues deep within the human psyche.

Link to explore images of Freud’s work: http://lucianfreud.com/index.html