3. Billy Wingate
Every artist who paints portraits
of children and young people should
keep a reproduction of this painting
in their paintboxes! There are some
powerful lessons to be learned here.
The young subject sits in a simple,
unaffected pose with a single strong
light coming in from the left. The
background is uncomplicated—nothing
more than a wash of neutral color
that provides a perfect foil for
the clearly rendered figure. The
shadow side of the head is bathed
in a delicious reflected light.
Both the light and the dark side
of the head are lighter than the
background. The lad's hair is neatly
combed, but his collar is unruly—a
perfect touch of convincing realism.
The execution is straightforward
and direct—not overworked.
The work of a genius!
Oil
on canvas, 1957
36 x 25 inches
Private collection
|
here
are those who believe that the greatest of all
American portrait painters—after John Singer
Sargent—was Albert Murray, the legendary
New York artist (1906-1992) who created some
of the most memorable and effective portraits
ever painted in this country. An Albert Murray
portrait was characterized by consummate draftsmanship,
exquisite color, flawless craftsmanship—resulting
in a truly penetrating rendition of the personality
of the subject. Here are four outstanding examples
of Al Murray's magnificent art: