For this blog, I decided on the portrait named Portrait, Eyes Lowered by Celia Paul. This portrait is more abstract, depicting a figure who looks to be naked, or possibly wearing a navy blue tank top, at least from what we as viewers can see. The hairstyle of the sitter is a sort of disheveled look, seeming barely brushed through with the hair tucked behind the sitter’s ears. Along with the minimal clothing, there are also pretty much no accessories to be seen within the frame of the portrait.
For color, Paul almost entirely sticks to shades of brown or beige. There seems to also be some hints of dark blue, grey, or even black to portray certain facial features of the sitter. These dark colors, and the consistency of the color palette portray an overall moody feeling, as well as a sort of feeling of containment for the sitter. The colors create an image of the sitter being trapped within the color palette of their gloomy outlook on the world, leaving them without the ability to see any color other than the sullen shades of brown. The choices of light Paul chose for this sitter also indicate a feeling of deep sadness or even hopelessness with the light coming from the sitter’s right side casting a shadow on the left side of the sitter’s face. This, along with the portrayal of the sitter’s expression, creates a very intense feeling of connection and sympathy from the viewers perspective.
The background of this portrait flows with the image smoothly, creating the feeling of sadness the artist is portraying by being completely plain and a neutral light shade of brown. This light background also creates more contrast with the darkness of the sitter’s facial expression which allows for the viewer to better experience and empathize with the emotional darkness of the sitter’s feelings.
If I could step into this portrait, I believe, in a literal sense, I would see the floor as it looks like the sitter’s gaze is pointed downwards. In a more poetic sense, I believe I would not really see anything. I think I would be in a sort of dissociated state, allowing for my mind to escape reality, but not into a more peaceful place. Instead, the escape would be into a rather terrifying and anxiety inducing state, resulting in the expression of the sitter in this portrait. Along with this, I believe I wouldn’t really hear anything either. I believe if I was in this portrait, I would have no sense of sight or hearing, and would be left with my thoughts alone.
- Jill Qualls
Theatre in London U of A 