Portrait Painter Robert Maniscalco presents Award-winning Portraiture

PORTRAIT PAINTER - ROBERT MANISCALCO

Men	Girls	Boys	Groups
Women	Pets & Equestrian	Pastel & Charcoal	Recent Portraits

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Painting for the Ages You know you've arrived when you own a Robert Maniscalco portrait. We hope you'll enjoy this gallery of portraiture along with works in other genres by portrait painter, Robert Maniscalco. Robert travels all over the world to create heirloom portraits in oil, pastel and charcoal, including executive, political, religious, military, judicial and family portraiture. He also accepts posthumous commissions, working from existing photographs, as well as from old family photos to create his world class portraits. Maniscalco is equally adept with men, women, children, even pets. He also enjoys the challenge of equestrian portraiture.

Why a Legacy Portrait? Once referred to as a "Society Portrait," a fine oil portrait was a symbol of prominence and nobility. Today, bringing a portrait into being carries with it a much more profound meaning. A portrait is the most eloquent way to recognize those who have achieved a high level of excellence and/or esteem in their lives. It's not an ego trip because it is an expression of one's relationship with others. An excellent oil portrait creates an enduring legacy, conveying the love and connection between you, your family, your organization, your community and your culture. It is a valuable heirloom that will be treasured and passed on through generations to come.

Artist Statement "My goal as a portrait painter is to create paintings that will stand the test of time as compelling works of art, alive with the personality of both artist and subject. I think of my work as a celebration and affirmation of life; each portrait is an adventure, exploring the unique character and personal strengths of my sitters. A love of people and a deep interest in the human experience is key to my work. It's not about how you look, it's about who you are. My training as a painter, actor and musician have increased my interest in capturing this quintessential dynamic with authority, authenticity and compassion. Over the years I've come to appreciate the transubstantiation of image to feeling inherent in a great oil-on-canvas portrait. Nothing else has the power to capture the personality and character of the subject for the ages. Portrait painting is about exploring the lyricism of character and dynamics of personality within the painted surface. More than a photograph made to look like a painting, my portraits are the real thing."

Built on the Classical Tradition "My painting method is built on the classical painting traditions of Rembrandt, Velazquez, Hals and Seargent, who explored the use of light and shadow as a means of creating mood and achieving character in their subjects; Rembrandt was the original "painter of light!" Look for a dramatic yet subtle use of light in my portraits. I love the way light interacts with substances such as flesh, hair, wood, air, liquids, metal and fabrics like silk, cotton, wool, denim, etc. My portraits are very tactile in the way they evoke various textures and surfaces."

"Rembrandt was also known for his use of an under painting–that is, thin pigments used without the addition of white paint–to create transparent, watercolor-like effects. I have expanded the under painting into vibrant layers of rich colorful glazes which maintain their translucent properties. I also envelope the viewer with expressive layers of impasto (the mixing of opaque paints) in an alla prima manner. This combination of transparent glazes with bravado alla prima passages creates a greater depth and dimension, bringing a feeling of light and air to my work. My painting method and style developed out of an extensive apprenticeship with my father, Joseph Maniscalco. His teacher, Frank Reilly, is widely considered one of the 20th centuries' great teachers of realism at the Art Students League in New York City form the 1940's to the 1960's. The ultimate goal in my paintings is to create a feeling that the subject(s) could walk right off the canvas, enabling the viewer to experience the personality of the subject by the painting alone."

For biographical information about Robert Maniscalco