Consulate of Malta

[Michele Rushworth]

And another Kramskoy portrait, entitled "Woodsman". This one stopped me in my tracks.

[Linda Brandon]

I love your work, Peggy, and this one is no exception. He looks alive and engaging. Congratulations on a fine painting.

[Steven Sweeney]

I keep coming back to steal things from this portrait. Don't worry, I'll put everything back when I'm finished, and in the right places. (The Maltese Cross was a real ice-breaker at last night's holiday soiree.)

Very strong "presence", as others have said. The hands are great -- the clip should be added to the Show of Hands thread.

[Peter J. Fasi]

Peggy,

Being Maltese myself, I was particularly interested in this post.

It is, as always, exemplary.

Did you by any chance get the name of the third medal. Could you identify which is which?

[Mari DeRuntz]

He seems to be in conversation with the viewer, waiting for a reply. The Maltese Cross details are fun, but what makes it truly masterful is this emotional connection you've established with the viewer.

Or as my husband said when he looked over at my computer, Wow.

[Alicia Kornick]

Peggy,

You are a painting wizard! You captured his essence. Beautiful piece of work.

Alicia

[Julianne Lowman]

Wonderful work! Could you post a close up of the Trompe l'oeil medals?

[Jean Kelly]

Beautiful and impressive, Peggy.

Jean

[Deladier Almeida]

I am particularly attracted by the outline the figure carves on the background. The design of the composition is balanced, dynamic and inviting.

Your skillful treatment of the mass of the head tells me that you possess the rare ability to separately look at the subject as mass and as light falling on mass.

I was at the Legion of Honor museum in SF recently looking at portraits and it occurred to me as a revelation that those big guys (Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Rubens), painted the human face as if they were painting monuments seen from afar. The nose and ears protrude and cast shadows on the surface of the face as would promontories on the side of a mountain. The concave forms are like valleys and their shadows have few sharp edges as is typical of distant scenes.

They painted monuments to their sitters! I've been since on the lookout for that phenomenon in contemporary paintings and see it here to your credit.

[Chris Saper]

Administrator's note: The images Michele has posted of Kramskoy's work have been duplicated, in "Artists of the Past" located here: http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...&threadid=2128

Please direct your Kramskoy-related comments to that area, so that this thread can remain focused on Peggy's painting, "The Consulate of Malta".