What Should you Expect from a Legacy Portrait?

Basically, you are looking for an excellent likeness that will capture and express the world of the sitter, both inside and out. You really want an excellent portrait of yourself, your family or the founder of your company. Because a great portrait is a legacy that captures in time, for all time, our moments of greatness. It also captures the small moments in time, when everything made sense.

The problem is most artists are painting the surface, or the “appearance” of the subject. Or worse, simply copying a photo, sometimes very badly. A likeness doesn’t come close to what you should expect from a portrait. I get no pleasure out of being critical of other artists who are struggling or are at the early stages of their career; we all have to start somewhere, right? But, occasionally I find myself having to defend my higher fee and explaining why someone should have to pay more for a good portrait. Notice the flatness and the emptiness in the eyes of these paintings on the left. ​

<- This is a portrait I was asked to redo because the artist simply didn’t have the skill or the sensitivity for the task.

<- Here’s my version, from the same photo.

These were both painted posthumously, btw.

Can you see the difference? Some people really can’t tell the difference.

The fact is, you don’t need a license to be an artist.

You don’t need a college degree.

Having your “talented friend” paint your portrait isn’t usually such a good idea either.

 

Here’s another very recent example of how settling for an enthusiastic supporter to do your portrait can backfire dramatically. It is not a bad portrait, it just looks nothing like the subject.

<-This is the portrait done a few years back of Monsignor Carter. His administrative assistant of 35 years keeps it hidden in her closet.

And here’s the one I did we just unveiled last week. ->

Having a portrait is a sacred trust for me. It is not a struggle. I have worked very hard over my 45 year career so I can guarantee an excellent result. Find out About Having a Maniscalco Legacy Portrait.