Portrait Artists

National Gallery, Scotland

I love a good mystery. For example, who painted the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 bill? That question inspired this my 50th blog post. Congratulate me!

I've always loved portraits and there was a time when I would sketch (from memory) caricatures of my family, friends, and co-workers. Many recognizable artists have painted themselves (See my Self-Portraits post), especially Rembrandt who couldn't afford to pay models to sit for him. Now, I'd like to focus on portraits of their subjects.

I've already discussed da Vinci's Madam Lisa Giocondo (Mona Lisa) and Vermeer's Griet (Girl with a Pearl Earring).

National Gallery, London

Besides Rembrandt, my favorite portrait artist has to be John Singer Sargent. His figures have an elegance about them, more so than the formality of posed royal subjects (e.g.) by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Many such paintings are more about capturing the folds of a velvet gown or lavish gold thread patterns and textures in the royal garments or capturing moments in history or acclaimed victories.

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1874) by Gilbert Stuart

Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse also did portraits, but they excelled in other areas, in my opinion. Renoir and Degas painted individuals or groups of people often in graceful compositions. Other artists -- Picasso, Kahlo, Klimt, van Eyck, and even American artist Grant Wood ("American Gothic" farm couple) -- all had their own unique style of portraiture.

Self-Portrait, Gilbert Stuart

I'd like to focus on some of the lesser-known artists responsible for the images of historic figures found on our U.S. currency. It’s difficult to discover which artists were responsible for the art used for such engravings. I knew about Gilbert Stuart, his many (130) portraits of George Washington, and the one unfinished painting from which the dollar bill got the likeness for its engraving.

It appears to be totally possible that he also painted the portrait of

Thomas Jefferson for the two-dollar bill.

Alexander Hamilton (1805), Trumbull

The rest of the currency artists, though seemingly anonymous, still make for interesting reading. Hamilton’s portrait on the $10 bill may have been painted by either Otis Porritt, Caroline L. Ormes Ransom, or most likely, John Trumbull. Another mystery is who painted the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 bill. Perhaps a trip to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. could solve it!

Lincoln Photo (1864), Brady

Portrait artists for Lincoln, Jackson, and Franklin seem to be Mathew Brady, Thomas Sully, and Joseph Duplessis, respectively.







Banknotes around the world are much more colorful than those here in the United States. In addition to portraits of its countrymen or architectural symbols, they also depict their flora and fauna. Scotland's £50 note displays a portrait of Sir Walter Scott on one side and the amazing Falkirk Wheel on the other. The Scottish historian, historical novelist, playwright, and poet is quoted as having said, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!". Here's another that is hopefully appropriate for today's pandemic: "Look back, and smile on perils past." Unfortunately, like many of the expressions captured in these somber portraits, I won't be smiling. Instead, I'll be breathing a sigh of relief!

Andrew Jackson portrait (1852), Sully

Franklin portrait (1785), Duplessis

These faces became familiar to most Americans through the constant use of their monetary denominations in our day-to-day lives.

Do you have a favorite portrait? What's your favorite work of art? Who is your favorite artist?

Family Art -- Teachers, Mentors, Paint 3D

When I was a pre-teen, my brothers and I took oil painting classes from New Jersey artist, Virginia Falconieri, and I painted this portrait inspired by the famous clown Emmett Kelly. I recently got it back from my parents' estate when my brother was cleaning out his basement. I presented all of my works proudly in a display case in 6th grade.

Only recently have I taken up painting again, as has my older brother.

I made a prototype acrylic sunset painting in anticipation of hosting a Paint Nite at my local coffee shop, but the class never materialized.

Photos from Westwood Regional High School Yearbook (1975)

In high school, in Westwood, New Jersey, in addition to taking what would be AP classes today, my brother and I took Art Major classes from Mr. George Pappas, assisted by Ms. Denise Salto.




Every year, he would play the audio from "The Wizard of Oz" in the background while we were doing art. He surely was one of my most favorite and memorable teachers! Per the Westwood Regional High School Facebook page, he died on December 15, 2016, at 98.

I signed up for an oil painting class as a retiree, but the commute to Seattle let the steam out of that endeavor. I guess I need to find something else to inspire the painting to continue. I need to clean out an area in my new office so that I can get organized for painting.

Retired since March of last year, my older brother has been using a 3D Paint program on a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet to create his own high-tech artwork. After our July 'Brother Bonding' trip to Cooperstown together with my younger brother, we both took a renewed interest in creating our own art. His inspiration began with a passion for landscapes that he calls 'random bales of hay', which we watched out for on our road trip to NY.

His first work, completed in late December 2019, is an autumn scene from Cooperstown emulating the back cover of the latest "Memories and Dreams" magazine from the MLB HOF.



In February, he wanted to celebrate the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays will start 3 former Lansing Lugnuts at 2B (Cavan Biggio), SS (Bo Bichette), and 3B (Vladimir Guerrero Jr)  this year, and all 3 are sons of former Major Leaguers (and Biggio and Guerrero Jr are sons of Hall of Famers). So he found images on the internet of each batting and drew them into one design with Paint 3D. He now has a customized one-of-a-kind t-shirt sporting his design.

Then on St. Patrick's Day he finished this landscape from his wife's photo taken last Summer at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw, Michigan.

"Field - Hay Bales", Jane Cloutier

This landscape collage by a local Michigan artist, hanging in his doctor's office, uses cut bits of paper like the artist Henri Matisse would have done. He snapped a pic on his phone and went to work creating a pattern of multiple small images of the work. After playing around with placement and size on Zazzle he had it made into a necktie.









This month, my brother and his wife had to put down their Chinese Crested dog, Winston. He painted an image of their beloved family member, again using Paint 3D. Amazing!

My younger brother has also dabbled in watercolor and painted this picture of a basset hound.












Years ago I took a watercolor class and painted this portrait from a small picture of a cowboy that I found in National Geographic.

It used layering, a wash for the background, and a dry-brush technique for the flannel shirt.

You can see the pastel paintings my daughter, niece, and I created in my Art Class for Seniors post. For other artwork, such as acrylic paintings from Paint Nites we've attended, see my Friends and Family post.

Sculpture - Another Dimension of Art

"End of the Day #2" (1996), Chihuly

It's a shame that visual art education is largely void of the subject of 3D sculpture; the world seems obsessed with two-dimensional art. Fortunately, Europe has plenty of statues and outdoor art to admire and to beautify/accompany its grand architecture. I wonder if such abundance inspires 3D art education across the pond. In this post, I'd like to share the works of some of my favorite sculptors -- Chihuly, Degas, and Tsutakawa.

Locally, here in Washington State, Chihuly and Tsutakawa have become popular fixtures. You may spot the avant-garde fountains by George Tsutakawa in neighboring cities. Such metallic sculptures are designed for the water to flow through and out of his iconic shapes.

Besides Washington's Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum in Seattle and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, there are many more of his glass installations throughout the U.S. and the world. I enjoy watching his documentaries on PBS. Pictured is a photo I took (left) of a small Tsutakawa fountain on the patio of the Maple Valley  Golf Club and (right) of a Chihuly piece at Palm Springs Art Museum in 2018.

Degas Ballet Figurines

While on a cruise of the Baltics in June 2019, I visited the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark and discovered sculptures by Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, and Pablo Picasso.

Ballet Dancer (1880-81), Degas

The museum had plenty of sculptures, including these two selections by Edgar Degas, and is best captured by the following blog post by Mary Solio, Copenhagen with Kids: Exploring Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. It shows the statue, "Water Mother" by Danish sculptor, Kai Nielsen. The reclining figure has 14 babies crawling around her, one of which is a young Venus perched on her raised arm.

Here's a small work by Auguste Rodin and one (below) by Pablo Picasso.

George Tsutakawa's son, Gerry created “The Mitt” that can be seen outside Safeco Field, now T-Mobile Park, home to the Seattle Mariners. Here is my Ichiro bobblehead collectible with him standing next to the Mitt outside the ballpark.






The statue of Ken Griffey Jr. was created by sculptor Lou Cella, unveiled 13 April 2017, vandalized 17 October 2017, and had his missing bat replaced 3 February 2018. I was also fortunate to see lots of statues this past Summer on my trip to the Baseball HOF in Cooperstown, NY (see my post).

It's sad to see art vandalized like Griffey's missing bat and Copenhagen's little mermaid's head. Even with art heists, wars, fires, and other tragic events throughout history, so many wonderful works of art have miraculously survived or been recovered for the world to enjoy timelessly.

While on a scenic road trip through Oregon and California, watch for occasional roadside artwork along I-5. We spotted Priscilla the metal dragon by artist Ralph Starritt and his Moo-Donna and her calf, Moona-Lisa near Yreka, California.

"Bronco Buster" (1895), Remington

Ken H. Stalter Jr. (1928-2016)

While my older brother was doing his large animal vet experience on a farm in the Catskills of Franklin, NY, he stayed with Ken and Lois Stalter. Ken was also an artist influenced by the sculpture work of Frederic Remington. 

In addition to "Wild West" bronze sculptures, Mr. Stalter did paintings and pen and ink drawings in his spare time. 

"Warrior" (2012), Ken H. Stalter Jr.

During the Summer of 1976, he and my brother set up easels after milking the cows and having breakfast, then painted all afternoon. Toward the end of the Summer, the pair rented sidewalk space in downtown Oneonta and displayed some of their works as part of an art festival.

Stalter made this wonderful wood carving (by request) for my sister-in-law one Christmas.

Art Heists

While I don't do Facebook or Twitter, I must share this surprising post by the Puyallup, WA Police Dept. from Monday, 16 March. I saw it on our local network news.

"Due to local cases of #COVID-19, PPD is asking all criminal activities and nefarious behavior to cease. We appreciate your anticipated cooperation in halting crime & thank all the criminals in advance. We will certainly let you know when you can resume your normal criminal behavior."

Can you imagine if it would have been that easy to stop all the art thefts over the years? Such activity is often motivated by greed or likely fueled by boredom or the challenge of breaking security measures. What I'll never understand is the senseless vandalism of art. It's difficult enough to preserve centuries-old artwork or to restore paintings that have cracked or faded naturally. Bravo to art restoration experts, curators, and investigators who recover damaged or stolen artworks!

"A Young Woman standing at a Virginal"
(1670-72), Vermeer

"Les Oliviers" (1889), Van Gogh

Personally, I am glad that there are so many Van Gogh's to see, considering his short career as a painter (age 27-36). Saw this one at the National Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2017. I'm disappointed that there aren't more of Vermeer's works. How about the paintings within the painting? It also amazes me that he had time to paint while raising 11 children!

"The Connoisseur" (1961), Norman Rockwell

This painting-within-a-painting is Norman Rockwell's nod to Abstract Expressionism and is likely patterned after the work of his fellow artist, Jackson Pollock, who died 6 years earlier and never got to see it. Personally, I think the art patron should be standing further back in order to fully appreciate the painting. It's also way too colorful to be an actual Pollock!

"San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk" (1908-12), Monet

Art heists are common themes in many Hollywood movies. Probably the most famous are the two versions of "The Thomas Crown Affair" from 1968 and 1999 in which a classic Monet painting is borrowed and a copy forged with Coolidge's 'Dogs at Cards' a.k.a. "Poker Sympathy" underneath (for the comic relief!).

The first starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway (both) and the second Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. The intrigue of the art capers was accompanied by the romantic involvement of a bored thief and a relentless investigator.







Here's a photo of the Lakhta Center taken while in St. Petersburg, Russia at around 11 PM (Yes!) when it was still light. I call it, "Twilight, Russia", after Monet's "Twilight, Venice".








1999's "Entrapment" pairs Sean Connery with Catherine Zeta-Jones in the search for the stolen Rembrandt - "Bathsheba with King David's Letter".

Grace Kelly - To Catch a Thief, by Kevin Hughes

1955's popular "To Catch a Thief" was about a cat burglar jewel thief and a romance between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. According to one website (The Guardian), "A thief in Cannes made off with over £90m in jewels in a 2013 smash and grab at a temporary exhibition in the Carlton Hotel, where (coincidentally) Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief." 

The less-popular 1966 movie "How to Steal A Million", about art forgery, in particular sculpture, stars Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn.

1991's "Hudson Hawk", starring Bruce Willis and Andie MacDowell, is a violent movie about stealing works by Leonardo da Vinci from the Vatican. One of the works is a small-scale model for da Vinci’s enormous statue of the Sforza horse which was never actually completed.

"Monuments Men" is a 2014 movie about a more positive recovery of art masterpieces from Nazi thieves by a platoon of WWII soldiers.

Art Parodies - Poking Fun at Art is Inspiring

Perhaps you've seen the painting, "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper. It is an iconic modern scene depicting a few lonely people hanging out in a diner during the wee hours of operation. Simple and efficient, Hopper captures a melancholy scene with a mastery of lighting techniques. Recall in the movie, "As Good as it Gets", Jack Nicolson and Helen Hunt's characters decide to take an early morning walk for some hot rolls and arrive in time for the corner bakery to open. 

When modern-day artists choose to parody famous artworks, it is a form of flattery as well as a way to bring popular culture into the world of art. Gottfried's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a now-famous parody of Hopper's "Nighthawks" using Hollywood icons to replace the characters in the late-night diner.
Maybe you can guess who they are!





Coolidge's "Dogs Playing Poker" was likely the inspiration for Andy Thomas' fantasy group portraits of Republican and Democrat Presidents (tagged in my recent 'Presidential Portraits' post). Both are less serious works that I consider whimsical works of art. Such Americana is often used as decoration in man caves, kitchens, rec rooms, and even floor mats across America. I believe that you may also customize which breeds of dogs (or politicians, Ha!).








The second most popular parody mimics Grant Wood's "American Gothic". One theme uses Star Wars figures to replace the farmer couple. In them, the wife is either replaced by the Wookie Chewbacca or becomes Princess Leia, complete with dueling buns and the original expression. The husband is replaced by a younger and better looking Han Solo in one and a sinister Sith in the other.

In addition to Star Wars characters, today's artists will insert familiar characters from The Simpsons, the Batman comics, and even the Muppets.

I found Muppet Cookie Monster in parodies of iconic works by Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali and Japanese artist Hokusai. 

I like how Dali's watches are replaced by chocolate chip cookies and Hokusai's wave becomes

a wave of hunger for something sweet.

Of course, there are many parodies of the "Mona Lisa", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", and Edvard Munch's "The Scream", but I'll let the curious stumble onto those online!





It's fun to occasionally poke fun at art. I like to incorporate comics and images from newspaper articles into my art lessons to serve as ice breakers when I introduce a new artist/topic. I encourage my students to be on the lookout for art even in the media and on TV.

Here's a comic by Gary Larson that I saved from my comic-a-day desk calendar years ago when I was still working. I use it as a lead-in to lessons on Realism.

The artist is painting exactly what he sees.

Artists, even photographers, create illusions to trick our eyes and brains. Here, the weather or atmosphere is helping make the impossible cantilever ship. Painters who work largely in the two dimensions of a rectangular canvas need to employ techniques to create illusions of space, depth, perspective, texture, etc. Op Art takes it a step further using optical illusions (e.g. M.C. Escher and Victor Vasarely).

"Relativity" (1953), M.C. Escher

I wonder if J.K. Rowling used Escher's staircases as inspiration for the dormitories in the Harry Potter novels.

A literary parody!

Swimming-Pool In The High Street (Glasgow, Scotland)

Here's a 3D chalk illusion by Julian Beever.











And a collage of weird advertisements I pulled from the Internet. While I've never witnessed these in-person, I saw plenty of sidewalk art in London's Trafalgar Square on our UK trip in 2017.