Yesterday, all of us made our way to the National Portrait Gallery to, once again, be in awe of art. I thought I would’ve been tired of staring at art by now, but of course I was made aware by the Gallery how art never fails to not only capture your attention, but keep it. I was enthralled the whole way through, and wanted so badly to simply stop, sit, and stare at all the paintings for hours.
One of the very first portraits I stumbled upon immediately caught my eye- it was of Cary Grant, one of the most iconic and talented actors in history (at least, in my humble opinion). I grew up watching a lot of his movies, as my parents were adamant about me being well-versed in the classic old Hollywood style films that they grew up on. As I stared at Cary Grant, I realized it wasn’t the setting that I found to be anything striking or unusual, as you couldn’t see much of it anyway, just a simple chair and a desk, but it was his pose that struck me. He was sitting on the desk with one leg propped up on a chair, arms wrapped around his leg. It was a very feminine pose for a man that, to me, always seemed very masculine. However, I do believe that this pose signifies Grant’s uniqueness. As I thought back to all the films I’ve seen with him as a main character, he never fails to carry an air of matchlessness, as if nobody could embody someone the way he could.
The portrait was also in black and white, which is fitting for the time period. Despite this, the lack of color made the portrait feel even more timeless, as if it existed outside of any one specific moment. Without any bright colors or tones, one’s attention is solely on Cary Grant. One could argue it’s too simple a portrait, but I think that’s what makes it so exceptional. Grant had effortless charisma, something I think the simple black and white portrait portrays.
If I were to step into this portrait, I think the first thing I would notice would be the sound. The sounds of Cary Grant laughing while posing, the hum of the air conditioning, and faint jazz music in the background. To see art being created right before my eyes would be absolutely unreal.
-Emmy
Theatre in London U of A 