Nikea au repos
September 19, 2022
For this commission, I wanted to explore a French style or portraiture, as I had always admired the work of Frederic Soulacroix. Frederic was a French-Italian painter during the late 1800s to early 1900s who, at 18 years old, was accepted into the School of Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. This was in October of 1876, coincidentally precisely 100 years to the month before I would be born. So, I guess I’ve always felt solidarity with him. In addition, he was a fantastic artist.
His fabrics and textures always captivated me, along with the sheer elegance of his subjects and the inconspicuous opulence they exuded.
This work is an homage to him but also a way to honor my client and show her in an elegant, sophisticated way that I feel reflects her personality and value as a person.
As the work progressed from sketch to line art to portrait, I needed to embed the painting with as many hidden details as possible. Easter eggs like her initials on the pillow, her alma mater on the vase. Initials of people who are important to her.
Creating this piece was a delight, and although I’m off to explore other themes and styles at the moment, I look forward to when I return to explore a more French way of portraiture.