โA kind of reconnecting with the pastโ: the Met celebrates the art of the portrait
In a new exhibition, work from artists including Pablo Picasso and Wifredo Lam offer different ways to see what a portrait can represent What exactly is a portrait? At its simplest, it might be an attempt to depict oneself or someone else via a painting. But then consider German expressionist Max Beckmannโs masterpiece The Beginning, a triptych of scenes from his childhood, or Cuban artist Wifredo Lamโs รdolo, a melange of forms based around the goddess Oyรก. Rooted more in memory and myth than a mere physical likeness, these pieces stretch just what we might decide counts as a portrait. Works such as the Beckmann and the Lam โ as well as cubist abstractions, an ornate hand mirror, and one of Joan Mirรณโs pieces of โpainting-poetryโ, โ are all portraits as defined by The Metโs new show The Face of Modern Life, which gathers close to 80 works from the museumโs permanent collection. A boisterous and effusive selection of work from one of the nationโs most storied museums, this show gives audiences a peek into the museumโs estimable archives and a chance to wonder just what defines this seemingly simple but truly elusive form. Continue reading...