While I have done several posthumous portraits of family and
friends, painting and drawing historical subjects both famous and anonymous are
very challenging. In 2011, I was asked
to explore creating artwork about the civil war which is a most difficult task
when working strictly from vintage photographs of the era. Photography was in its infancy and the
lighting was harsh and glaring, not to mention the pose had to be held for approx.
20-30 seconds . A painting
of this nature is at least 3 times as difficult to 'bring to life' compared to
using a good modern print or digital image. Drawings are much easier, but still
a challenge. However, the satisfaction is immense when a painting is nearly
complete and you feel you have shed new light on old subjects that were just
names and blurry photos in forgotten history books.
Copy after William Bouguereau of portrait of Gabrielle Cot 1890 Contact for price
