Art Talk: NGA Portrait Tour

Painted in the late 1400s in Italy by Leonardo da Vinci this is a wonderful portrait of Ginevra de Benci around her marriage when she was 16 years old.

While this might just look like a good painting when you see other paintings at the time you see the genius of Leonardo and his skill with oil paints.

He also used a lot of symbolism to capture Ginevera's personality. For instance, her high hair line, which they used to pluck shows her intelligence, the blue thread shows her family has some money yet in looking closer you see it is tread bare at the end signifying her thrift. The juniper tree behind her is a symbol of her chastity.

In looking at her what do you see? A serious, almost sad young woman? Someone that takes care of herself. A lady in which you want to know what she is thinking.

Florentine 15th/16th Century
Lorenzo de Medici, 1513/1520

One of the things I love about museums is the ability to move through time and space.

We are now in the Netherlands in the 1600s looking at a self portrait of Rembrandt. He did a lot of self portraits, about 40 paintings and 31 etchings.

What do you think about this man?
What do you think he wants us to think about him?
Why do you think he painted or etched so many self portraits?
Why do we now take so many selfies? Do you think it is related?

One thing that is for certain is that he was not afraid to look directly at the viewer. He brings you into the painting with his eyes.

Gilbert Stuart
The Skater (Portrait of William Grant), 1782

Another things about his portrait is its incredible size.
274.3 x 177.2 x 9.5 cm (108 x 69 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.)
most of Stuart's portraits are: 92.7 x 80 x 9.5 cm (36 1/2 x 31 1/2 x 3 3/4 in.)

We are now moving into the 1800s as we look at another one my favorite portraits in this gallery.

It is painted by Rembrandt of his brother Rubens. Yes, they have famous artist names. They also have brother named Raphaelle, and Titian.

The reason I like this painting so much is the tenderness brother painted brother. Here we see Rubens at the age of 17 years old with his geranium which is "reputed to be the first specimen of this exotic plant ever grown in the new world."

Some call this a double portrait. This brings me back to one of my first quesitons? Can a portrait be of something that is not a person?

I think so. The plant is carefully painted like his brother. The care Rembrant took in painting his brother is evident and the loving care and touch of Rubens for his geranium. It is a beautiful painting!

Archibald John Motley Jr.
Portrait of My Grandmother, 1922