Claire Golby
Level 5
Dramatic Contexts
Benjamin Disraeli by Sir John Everrett Millais. 1881, [online image] available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw00408/Benjamin-Disraeli-Earl-of-Beaconsfield?LinkID=mp00307&search=sas&sText=benjamin+disraeli&role=sit&rNo=12 [Accessed October 10th 2014]
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley 1560's. [online image] available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00916/William-Cecil-1st-Baron-Burghley?LinkID=mp00645&search=sas&sText=william+cecil+1st+&role=sit&rNo=0 [Accessed: 10th December 2014]
William Harvey by Daniel Mytens, 1627. [online image] available from:http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw02970/William-Harvey?search=sp&sText=william+harvey+mytens&firstRun=true&rNo=0 [accessed: October 10th 2014]
This portrait of William Cecil, I find really interesting and has a lot of potential. The colours and styling of the postiche would be a learning curve and his nose and aging lends an interest to the prosthetics. The reason I won't be choosing this portrait is because of the elaborate costume and background. I would much rather put my time into doing the makeup rather than spending ages trying to find a location or props, etc. I could do a bald cap and then maybe lay on hair for where it sticks out from under the hat, but I am quite keen to try fronting a wig fully.
Justino de Neve by Bartoleme Esteban, 1665. [online image] available from:https://www.museodelprado.es/uploads/pics/1._Justino_de_Neve.jpg [accessed: October 10th 2014]
Don Adrian Pulido Pareja by Juan Murillo Bautista, 1647. [online image] available from: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/possibly-by-juan-bautista-martinez-del-mazo-don-adrian-pulido-pareja [accessed: October 10th 2014]
These are some of the paintings I saw at the National Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery. Obviously taking photos there is not allowed, so I wrote down the details of the images I liked and found them online on the galleries' websites. This image on the left is a late 19th century portrait, so too recent for this project, but I think it includes a lot of elements that I would like to cover for my chosen portrait. This wig and bal cap would be one of the most important parts of this look, with a beard and prosthetics. I like the simple background for this portrait, as well as the costume, although because of the angle, you only end up seeing about half the face which I'd consider to be quite a disadvantage.
ALthough the above protrait is nice, and cover a lot of the criteria which would be good for this project (postiche, lighting, background, costime), I think his gace is just too generic looking. I want to choose a more interesting portrait with more personality. That way when it comes to making the prosthetics they will be more character changing and detailed.
Similarly, I would really like to do either one of these portraits, but due to costumes or backgrounds, I can't. I really like the painterly effect on the Juan Murillo portrait as well. I think the right hand portrait has a very monochrome tone to his face in contrast.