Corwin Playing...

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on March 15, 2013 at 2:21pm

Curator’s Comment:

 

I admire this skillful, deft handling of the pastel medium - the soft tonal qualities in Corwin Playing the Flute are nicely accented by more intense bits of color.  I particularly like the aqua blue highlights against the deeper pink shadows in the figure’s face; my eyes follow the connective pathway of pale blue shadows in the free flowing folds of his clothing.  The reddish coloration of his hair & beard form a beautiful complementary color palette, which is reinforced in the simple background environment.  There is an intense focus in his playing, and the implied diagonal of the instrument points the viewers’ attention back to his face and hands. Otherwise, the compositional lines are soothing and relaxed. I also enjoy the debatably more formal portrait titled Queen Ann.  While it employs the same sort of frozen snapshot quality in many of the other portraits in this portfolio, she has an animated expression and gesture that appears refined but spontaneous.  Her costume is curious, seeming to reflect 16^th or 17th century garb in a faintly more contemporary interior.  The subtle workings of broken color animate the still life objects in the picture, as well as the queen’s billowing white shirt.  She is either out of her time, or represents a fresh perspective on a romantic past.