Maurice Quentin de la Tour

Maurice Quentin de la Tour

The portrait above is of Marie Fel. She was a popular singer, still performing when she was 65. De la Tour loved her and judging by her expression she loved him too.

When I first started to paint portraits, I tried acrylics but I didn’t get on well. I was going to a weekly evening class and one of the other artists brought in a box of pastels that her grandmother had given her. I took one look and knew I had found my medium.

A few weeks ago a man who is interested in the history of art asked me which artist inspired my portrait style. So I immediately said Maurice Quentin de la Tour. I got my book, “The French Pastellists of the Eighteenth Century” by Haldane Macfall, from the book case, and showed him the images.

I found the book in a second hand bookshop. The prints are tipped onto blank pages in the book and I feel lucky to have found the book with all the prints in place. So many of those old books had the prints removed to hang on the wall. The book includes many Eighteenth Century pastellists, but it is clear that Mr Macfall considered that de la Tour was the star.

I am inspired by Maurice Quentin de la Tour because of the liveliness of the expressions he portrays. Most of his portraits tell me as much about the artist as about the subject. It is obvious from their amused expressions that he was an entertaining and witty man. 

Most Eighteenth Century Portraits by famous oil painters look more like furnishings for their patrons’ mansions (chateaux?) than interesting individuals. I understand the desire of the patrons to want to present an image for posterity, but I don’t feel sad to think that I can never meet them. In de la Tour’s case I feel that I have already met them. So he inspired me to emulate him, not in wit but perhaps in kindness.

A lot of Maurice de la Tour’s portraits are in the Louvre. I haven’t been to Paris to see them but I have seen and appreciated a portrait of a young man in the National Gallery, London. It was in an obscure corner. Pastels are undervalued. 

His most famous portrait is the one of Madame Pompadour (below) but there are many to see at this link which is where I downloaded the images on this page. It is free to download the jpegs and you can buy prints of the portraits from the site.

The site is a wonderful resource for looking at great art: 

https://www.wikiart.org/en/maurice-quentin-de-la-tour

Viewing Art

Viewing Art

I watched Civilisations on BBC 2 last night. This episode was relevant to me and my portraits as it was about what the viewer brings to the depiction of the human face. Mary Beard had some pertinent comments to make about how taste in art is influenced by culture. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/GThNCvQtxsgJfJrxCxFJb2/civilisations-masterworks-of-beauty-and-ingenuity

When I paint or draw a portrait I am very conscious of the relationship of my client to the subject, and, if my client wants a portrait of themself, I try to be aware of how they want to be viewed by their friends. 

It took me a while to decide which portrait to choose to illustrate this, and finally, I decided that the portrait of Tyla would be a good example. 

I had met Tyla and knew that she was a dog of great character. She had a lot to say in rather growly tones when she greeted me and she was so much loved. As it was a surprise birthday present, she was brought to my house so I could take reference photos. I wanted her to face the window for the good light, but there was a door behind her and my two dogs were snuffling under that door. Fortunately I had some bits of chicken, so I was able to attract her attention, but not fully, as even when she had her nose pointed in my (ie the chicken’s) direction, her gaze was still over her shoulder to check on the snuffles. 

I wanted to capture the look of a dog gazing adoringly at her guardian. I know that look well as I have dogs myself. So I was able to get the look I wanted. 

As Tyla has a wonderful brindled coat it took me much longer to paint than I hoped and I missed the deadline of the birthday. So I scanned the unfinished portrait and made a birthday card of it. It was seriously unfinished but it was still recognised. I was told about it. He exclaimed "That’s my dog!" So I am sure I succeeded.

As I mostly paint or draw family portraits, I aim for an affectionate expression. It isn’t too difficult if they are with their family like children accompanied by their mother. But I remember one occasion when I was struggling to get usable photos of two young sisters until I was inspired to give them the camera and ask them to photograph each other. 

I have been commissioned to do mostly children or pets of recent years. But I have always enjoyed painting adult portraits too.