A (Foggy) Window into an Artist's Life

In Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward presents a fascinating idea when he says that " 'every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. [...] It is not [the sitter] who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself' " (8). Much insight can be gained about an artist by looking at his or her work, regardless of whether the information therein was intentionally or unintentionally included in a piece. Some of this information is general, such as the subject matter that an artist prefers to paint and the colors he or she commonly uses. But often a piece of art can also suggest an artist's emotions. The "simple" aspects of a work of art, such as color, position, light, and line, suddenly become indicators of a deeper meaning. As Julia touched upon in her blog, Hallward "manifests in his portrait" his obsession for Dorian Gray. With the "'half-parted lips, and the bright look in the eyes' " of his subject, the artist shows himself to be enamored of the sitter's beauty (20). Other clues include the attention an artist pays the smallest details and the area that an artist chooses to concentrate on and draw attention to in a piece. In Basil Hallward's portrait of Dorian, this focus seems to be on the subject's face.

That artist's focus is interesting to me because when I create a piece, I also tend to pay most attention to the face. But while Hallward's purpose seems to be to display his appreciation for superficial beauty, I tend to prefer painting those who have a beautiful personality. While I certainly appreciate the physical aesthetics, I seek to show viewers the emotions of my subjects as representations of their personalities. My own artwork likely reveals other aspects of myself, which is rather odd to think about as I am not creating it for the purpose of broadcasting my life. But it is clear from my work that I enjoy realism, which certainly suggests a left-brained approach to life (if one has taken a psychology or Humanities course). The attention to detail is a dead giveaway that I am a perfectionist, as I agonize over correcting even the smallest errors. And my color scheme, which I have realized is largely unchanging from piece to piece, suggests that I prefer familiar things or things that make me feel comfortable. The soft pinks, blues, and golden yellows are certainly much more soothing than jarring fluorescent colors, or vivid slashes of red, for example. And now, after spending too much time talking about myself (which I assure you was merely to prove my point about artists, and not a result of narcissism), I have one of Wilde's ideas left for you to ponder. Wilde stated that "those who go beneath the surface [of a piece] do so at their peril" (3). Essentially, attempting to unravel the meaning behind a work of art - especially when the artist himself is unsure of its purpose - is a messy business and may leave one more confused than one began.