Monday, May 9, 2011

National Portrait Gallery

I loved the portrait gallery (the only museum we ended up stepping foot in while in DC this past trip).  I love the tradition of sitting for a portrait, it's so old fashioned and bizarre at the same time.  There were so many incredible people highlighted there and I really loved how the informational plaques were about the people IN the portraits, not the artists themselves.  So many interesting people out there.
This granny is the coolest, my grandma would never pose for a picture like this.  She says no one over 75 should ever have their picture taken.  I completely disagree, but I guess you should ask me again when I'm 75.



After so many "stuffy" and old fashioned portraits I was drawn to this beauty like a magnet.  It's a portrait done by Edgar Degas - course it is.  I love the action in it, even though she is sitting in a chair.


What a stud.



I love that this is a presidential bust.  He looks way too wild to be a president.  First "western" president.

The colors in this really caught my eye.  I also liked that it was a formal portrait of a black man during a time that few were treated very formally.



This piece was well placed on a dark blue wall.  The yellow stood out so beautifully.


This is such a feminine portrait to me.  Done by John Singer Sargent, one of my all time favorite painters.  Especially his portraits.


I would love this set of images on the walls of my house some day.

I loved the sketchiness of this piece - it adds so much focus to the subject in my mind.


I adore the precision in the top of this piece mixed with the casual undone bottom.

1 comment:

amanda james said...

I just read all of those biographies. What a cool post, i dig this stuff as well. I am sure when we are in our 70's we will be past the point of caring.