PORTRAITS : Painting Beauty and Modesty of Women

If an artists is not imaginative, he or she is nothig: that is a golden rule in the world of art. While doing portrait of a person, this quality of an artist is put on a test. The Portrait in which an artist has injected his or her feeling is a portrait of the artist and not of the sitter. Such profound is the art of portrait making; as it requires total involvement of the painter. Let us discuss about some great portraits.

Portrait Painting, an Art of making people immortal through the art. A well-painted portrait would show the inner qualities of the person whose portrait is done, as the aim of artist can't be limited to painting the contours of the face and other limbs of the subject or model.

Suzanne Valadon was a French painter. Here she had modeled for Renoir's painting "Girl Braiding Her Hair".

What Is Portrait Painting

Portrait painting is a subtle communication of a set of expressions on the face of a model or the person sitting for his or her portrait. The artists while making portrait of a person mostly require the person in front the canvass. Though some painters prefer to work on the base of the photographic references, especially in case of the model is a child. Here are some of the portraits of ladies, depictiong their beauty and modesty. Here are some of the most noteworthy portraits.

Suzanne Valadon , the portrait shown here, was a French painter. Here she had modelled for Renoir's painting Girl Braiding Her Hair. In his late years of life Renoir had cultivated interest in classic art with the brush of an impressionist. He concentrated on ensuring that how the sunlight affects flesh tones. Renoir was very much affected by the beautiful models who worked for him. Here a lady painter herself had posed as a model for the painting.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti : Painting Sensual Women

If you happen to be in the area of Portland Place London, and having a walk on 39, Charlotte Street, you will reach at a dead end, a cul-de.sac. But if your move to 38, Charlotte Street and reach at the last building, there would be a house where a brilliant boy was born on My 12, 1828. The boy would be poet, writer, a great lover of woman, and a painter. The boy was Dante Gabriel Rossetti; he was the man who would claim his own voice in the midst of the loud voices in the world of art in London.

Rossetti - Self Portrait

Rossetti had done very hard work in his artistic career. By had work I do not mean he climbed Mount Everest or rafted on the water of Mississippi river or paid regular taxes to the government. But he was fond of falling in love with all of the women who have modeled for his painting. And he did that very intensively. Apart from that, being a free thinker about religion and an ardent lover of liberty, Rossetti had a burning passion for doing his best for the present and future generations. These paintings established him as a man of art, a man of heart, and a man who understood the beauty of women very ideally. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Annie Miller had been model for many of Rossetti’s paintings. She was a English Lady born in 1835. Annie Miller had worked as model mainly for William Holman Hunt. But in his absence and against his will, Annie had worked as model for other painters like John Everett Millais and Rossetti.

Annie Miller -by Rossetti

It was believed that she had very close and intimate relationship with these painters, especially with Rossetti. It is believed that Rossetti's wife had thrown out one drawing of Annie out of window. But Rossetti continued painting keeping Annie as model. This portrait drawing is by Rossetti. He was a writer, too. His writings are the proofs of his love of freedom and being a man of good nature. But his paintings are a different story. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Fanny Cornforth, a woman of the beauty of her nose and neck, was born in England in 1935. She appeared in Rossetti’s paintings as a fleshy woman with a red head. The portrait given here was painted by Rossetti to adore the sensual beauty of Fanny who would be his mistress. Though Fanny was in a devoted relationship with Rossetti, she was married to another man for a period. But after death of Elisabeth Siddal, Rossetti’s wife, she passed no time in moving to live with Rossetti as his housekeeper.

This painting ‘Fair Rosamund’ was painted by Rossetti. Here Fanny Cornforth was the model for the painting. There can be no any surprise if the art lovers and art critiques find his paintings full of sensual pleasure. Rossetti loved writing, he loved painting, he loved women; he kept loving his models and he always kept adoring the beauties of women who modeled for him. There is no surprise that Rossetti had depicted his experiences in aesthetic indulgences through an artistic prowess. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Jane Morris was Muse for Pre-Raphaelite group in London. She was artist herself, but she was considered an ideal beauty of the time. Known as Muse for the artist, William Morris, Jane had married with him. But her relationship with Rossetti was the talk of the time. The painting here is titled as ‘Proserpina’ or ‘Proserpine,’ , believed to be a Goddess of Fertility was painted by Rossetti. Jane Morrison was model for this painting. Rossetti had painted several paintings by taking services of Jane Morrison as a model. Jane Burden , as it was her real virgin name, had got very less education. But by taking much interest in learning the conversation skill she was know as a queen among her friends. Such refined was her behaviour and conversations. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

TIPs FOR PORTRAIT ARTISTS: If you are using pastel or oil colours for portrait painting, start the portrait from the darkest shade. Then apply the middle tone and finally the lighter colours.

[Image courtesy By Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) Description French painter Date of birth/death 25 February 1841(1841-02-25) 3 December 1919(1919-12-03) Location of birth/death Limoges Cagnes-sur-Mer Work location Paris (painting by Renoir) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons]