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.Not that it is necessary for the artist to grasp the mind of his sitter, although that is no disadvantage.But this is not his point ofview, his business is with the effect of this inner man on his outward appearance.And it is necessary for him to have that intuitivepower that seizes instinctively on those variations of form that are expressive of this inner man.The habitual cast of thought in anyindividual affects the shape and moulds the form of the features, and, to the discerning, the head is expressive of the person; boththe bigger and the smaller person, both the larger and the petty characteristics everybody possesses.And the fine portrait willexpress the larger and subordinate the petty individualities, will give you what is of value, and subordinate what is trivial in aperson's appearance.245The pose of the head is a characteristic feature about people that is not always given enough attention in portraits.The habitualcast of thought affects its carriage to a very large degree.The two extreme types of what we mean are the strongly emotional manhttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/14264/14264-h/14264-h.htm (113 of 147)3/9/2006 11:03:42 PMThe Project Gutenberg eBook of The Practice & Science Of Drawing, by Harold Speed.who carries his head high, drinking in impressions as he goes through the world; and the man of deep thought who carries his headbent forward, his back bent in sympathy with it.Everybody has some characteristic action in the way that should be looked out forand that is usually absent when a sitter first appears before a painter on the studio throne.A little diplomacy and conversationalhumouring is necessary to produce that unconsciousness that will betray the man in his appearance.How the power to discover these things can be acquired, it is, of course, impossible to teach.All the student can do is to familiarisehimself with the best examples of portraiture, in the hope that he may be stimulated by this means to observe finer qualities innature and develop the best that is in him.But he must never be insincere in his work.If he does not appreciate fine things in thework of recognised masters, let him stick to the honest portrayal of what he does see in nature.The only distinction of which he iscapable lies in this direction.It is not until he awakens to the sight in nature of qualities he may have admired in others' work thathe is in a position honestly to introduce them into his own performances.246Probably the most popular point of view in portraiture at present is the one that can be described as a "striking presentment of thelive person." This is the portrait that arrests the crowd in an exhibition.You cannot ignore it, vitality bursts from it, and everythingseems sacrificed to this quality of striking lifelikeness.And some very wonderful modern portraits have been painted from thispoint of view.But have we not sacrificed too much to this quality of vitality? Here is a lady hurriedly getting up from a couch,there a gentleman stepping out of the frame to greet you, violence and vitality everywhere.But what of repose, harmony of colourand form, and the wise ordering and selecting of the materials of vision that one has been used to in the great portraiture of thepast? While the craftsman in one is staggered and amazed at the brilliant virtuosity of the thing, the artist in one resents thesacrifice of so much for what is, after all, but a short-lived excitement.Age may, no doubt, improve some of the portraits of thisclass by quieting them in colour and tone.And those that are good in design and arrangement will stand this without loss ofdistinction, but those in which everything has been sacrificed to this striking lifelike quality will suffer considerably.Thisparticular quality depends so much on the freshness of the paint that when this is mellowed and its vividness is lost, nothing willremain of value, if the quieter qualities of design and arrangement have been sacrificed for it.247Frans Hals is the only old master I can think of with whom this form of portrait can be compared.But it will be noticed thatbesides designing his canvases carefully, he usually balanced the vigour and vitality of his form with a great sobriety of colour [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]