About Face

Van Hart "On = Art"=20 Newsletter = Issue 5 May=20 2009

Dear Friends,

Here's the 5th installation of my "On = Art"=20 newsletter. It's about portraits and why artists create=20 them.

Hope you decide to give=20 yourself a two minute 'art break' from whatever else you were=20 doing. Happy = reading!

Holly

About=20 Face

Isn't it amazing how the = combination of two=20 eyes, a nose, a mouth, and some hair can uniquely distinguish the = billions=20 of us that live in this world from each other. = Recently I've=20 been painting faces of people that I know and people that I don't. = Getting=20 someone's likeness requires more precision than any other subject I've=20 attempted. A single paint stroke near someone's mouth = can make=20 all the difference between capturing a likeness and not.

As most of you know, the artistic = representation=20 of a face (painting, photo, sculpture, etc) is called a=20 portrait. In this newsletter, we'll look at three = examples of=20 great portraits, as well as a portrait of my own making, and = the=20 stories behind them.

Portrait #1: = "Mona=20 Lisa"

"Mona = Lisa" by=20 Leonardo da Vinci, 1503-1519

Most portraits are created because=20 someone wants to immortalize a person they love or admire, and they = commission an artist to create a portrait. In the case of "Mona = Lisa", a=20 wealthy merchant commissioned a portrait of his wife Lisa del Giocondo = to=20 celebrate their new home and the birth of their second son. =

This painting did not become = well known=20 until 300 years after it was created, when it began to be associated = with=20 feminine mystique. Critic Walter Pater, in an 1867 = essay on=20 Leonardo, expressed this view by describing the figure in the painting = as a kind=20 of mythic embodiment of eternal femininity, who is "older than the rocks = among=20 which she sits" and who "has been dead many times and learned the = secrets of the=20 grave." Well, that would certainly explain why she = looks so=20 enigmatic.

Portrait #2: = "Mademoiselle Pogany"

"Mademoiselle Pogany" by Constantin Brancusi, 1913

Constantin Brancusi, a=20 Romanian sculptor, had a different reason for creating his = portraits. =20 Brancusi's objective was more of an artistic exploration. He = aimed to=20 use bronze and marble to push natural forms to their most = basic,=20 geometric shapes.

"Mademoiselle Pogany" = (above) depicts a=20 young Hungarian woman who met Brancusi while she was studying painting = in=20 Paris. Although her features are greatly simplified, the sculpture = is said=20 to convey the essence of her appearance. "What = is real is=20 not the external form, but the essence of things... it is impossible for = anyone=20 to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface," = said=20 Brancusi.

Brancusi's "essence of = things" is=20 highly valued. In February 2009, one of his = sculptures set a=20 historical record when it sold for $37.2 million.

Portrait #3: = "Addie Card,=20 12 years. Spinner"

"Addie Card, 12=20 years. Spinner." by Lewis Hine, c. 1907

Lewis Hine, an American sociologist = and=20 photographer, had another, completely different reason for creating = portraits. Hine used them to drive social = agendas.

As an example, in 1907 , Hine became = the=20 photographer for the National Child Labor Committee. For 10 years = he=20 documented child labor practices with portraits such as "Addie = Card"=20 (above) in an effort to help end the cruelties of child = labor. When=20 this photo was taken, Addie worked for 48 cents a day. She wasn't = sure how=20 old she was, but she knew she was too young to be allowed to=20 work.

For decades, Hine continued his=20 photographs in a similar vein, working for the Red Cross, Tennessee = Valley=20 Authority, and the Works Progress Administration. I'm very = thankful=20 to Lewis Hine for investing his artistic abilities to help drive = important=20 changes in our society.

Portrait #4: "Dreaming"

"Dreaming" by=20 Holly Van Hart

Humbly putting a portrait of my own = making after=20 the others . . . "Dreaming" is a portrait of my husband Ike as a=20 child. Ike dreams big, which is one of the many things I love = about him. He is also someone who gets things done, = which=20 is a perfect complement to being a = dreamer.

This painting is based on a photo of = Ike at age=20 seven. When I saw the photo, with an=20 atlas in front of him and a dreamy expression on his face, it seemed to = capture=20 the essence of him so well that I couldn't resist painting=20 it.

Some = local art=20 happenings

Here's some news I'd like to = share with you=20 about local art happenings:

* On Monday May = 11, I'll be=20 giving a painting demonstration at the Fine Arts League of = Cupertino. If=20 you live locally, and would like to see the demo and enjoy the company = of a=20 group of friendly artists, please join us! For=20 details click here.

* Three paintings from my = Rodin series are=20 now in the Menlo Park Library behind the circulation desk ("Two= Left=20 Hands", "The=20 Awakening", and "Jacques=20 de Wissant"). They will be there through June. This is a = solo=20 show, and it's part of a rotating exhibit sponsored by the Menlo Art=20 League. If you're in the library please be sure to check them=20 out.

Well, my friends, I hope you found = this to be a=20 refreshing 'art break'. Thanks so much for your = interest!

All the best,

Holly

Related links: Leonardo da=20 Vinci, Lewis Hine, Constantin Brancusi,=20 Paintings by Holly Van Hart,=20 My=20 Painting Blog

Quote of the = Day: =E2=80=9CPortraiture=20 has been the means by which the artist expresses the self in terms of=20 others.=E2=80=9D Albert E. Elsen

Please feel = free to forward=20 this newsletter to friends and family members who may be=20 interested.

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