Portraiture for the Modern Home

Painted portraits offer a dramatic element to nearly every room in the house

If portrait paintings make you think only of The Haunted Mansion, you are in need of a refresher course in art appreciation.

(Photo: Apartment Therapy)

There is a good reason why the greatest art museums in the world feature portraits in nearly every collection. First, portraits were the most common painting genre for artists through the ages — and they were the paintings that brought in needed cash on a regular basis.

Second, portraits capture the spirit and mystery of our own humanity. Artists use the eyes, the nose, the mouth, as well as perspective and color to tell the story that’s in every human face.

Before photography, a good portrait was the only likeness you were ever going to enjoy of yourself, your family, or the ancestors who came before you. Sadly, only those with money to spare could afford to commission a portrait, but perhaps someone in the family with a bit of artistic talent would draw sketches or even miniatures.

A Person Remembered

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a brilliant young artist who rose to prominence in 1980s New York. Known for his cartoon-like neo-expressionist work, Basquiat was discovered early as an extraordinary talent. His art was featured in a group show when he was 20; then a few years later he collaborated with Andy Warhol creating a series of cartoons and corporate logos. Tragically, Basquiat died of an accidental overdose at 27.

“Jean-Michel Basquiat” 1999, oil on canvas. (Photo: Brenda Zlamany)

So, here is his portrait, painted by Brenda Zlamany about 10 years after his death. Isn’t it mesmerizing? Portraits inspire a thirst in the viewer; a compelling use of expression, light and shade make you curious to know that person gazing back at you.

“Michelle Obama” by Amy Sherald, 2018. (Photo: thecollector.com)

We are accustomed to the elaborate large oil portraits of John Singer Sargent or, more recently, Amy Sherald, who created the acclaimed portrait of Michelle Obama in 2018. But portraits are wildly diverse and even depict animals—you might even know someone who has commissioned a portrait of their shitzu.

As Helen Breger shows us below, powerful portraits come in many media. Breger, who once freelanced for a San Francisco newspaper creating hand-drawn fashion ads, moved to black-and-white depictions of people and places. Her daughter is the model for this moody portrait.

Helen Breger was a renowned artist in the mid 20th century who worked in a variety of styles and media. It’s her stark detailed sketches like this one, “The Muu Muu” that show her skill capturing the subtleties of human expression. Breger happened to be a close friend of my mother’s for many years and some of her exceptional art remains in my family. (Photo: invaluable.com)

Sometimes portraits aren’t face-to-face at all, like this one. Profiles are people with their gaze set tantalizingly “offstage” — what are they looking at? What are they thinking?

I found this exquisite painting at the Jean-Jacques Henner art museum in Paris. Henner clearly loved painting profiles and his portraits are a sight to behold. The subject here is his daughter Eugenie in Alsatian garb holding a bowl of apples. (Photo: The Velvet Chaise)

Add Panache to Your Walls

Commissioning your own painted portrait would be a wonderful thing but it can be pretty expensive. In case you wanted to look into it, however, I found this list of painters who work on commission. It’s ideal to reach up as high as you can for the artist who will truly capture your likeness and personality. In portrait painting, you often get what you pay for.

Still, do the time and search for artists you like who do commissions. Someone talented but not yet featured in galleries and exhibits might fit within your budget.

In the Jean-Jacques Henner Museum, you’ll find dozens of studies that the artist sketched or painted similarly, as if trying over and over to achieve something a little different. This portrait struck me and I stayed in front of it for some time. I can’t even source it online so I’ll just call it “The Gaze.” (Photo: The Velvet Chaise)

I’ve always wanted to do this for myself and maybe I will someday. In the meantime, I look for the likenesses of people I’ve never known, yet who somehow are trying to speak to me through their portraits.

Photographs are a miracle of modern life and worthy of many places on my walls. But paint and the vision of an artist who strives to capture the human mystery on canvas is a potent combination that cannot be surmounted.