In a chapter of Cynthia Freedland’s book, Portraits & Persons, the philosopher proposes that portraits are images of persons that fulfil one or more of the following features: Likenesses Psychological characterisations Proofs of presence or ‘contact’ Manifestations of a person’s ‘essence’ or ‘air’ Such criteria may seem obvious but, in practice, they are particularly difficultContinue reading “Encountering the Past”
Category Archives: National Portrait Gallery
Picasso Portraits – friendships immortalised
Picasso. One mention of this elusive name sparks headlines of paintings selling for millions. But who was he? Beneath the external skin of artistic genius, who exactly was the painter of the enormous Guernica (1937) or the earlier, highly controversial Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907)? Who was Pablo Picasso? The National Portrait Gallery’s latest Picasso PortraitsContinue reading “Picasso Portraits – friendships immortalised”
Man Ray Portraits
A few weeks ago I headed to the National Portrait Gallery for their exhibition on Man Ray’s portrait photographs before taking the train back to Canterbury. I had managed to receive a free National Art Pass prior to the visit, courtesy of my university. As I stepped into the first section of the exhibition, noContinue reading “Man Ray Portraits”
Nigel Ip | Visual Arts Writer & Art Historian 