Clare McGhee
Botanical and Fine Art
Detail left from 'Portrait of a Young Woman' alongside a detail from the original painting on the right by Petrus Christus, 1470
Where History and Art combine...
The Portrait Series brings history to life with new interpretations of historical statues and paintings. These contemporary versions bring a completely new context to the original works whilst still reflecting the aesthetic beauty and history of the original pieces.
Each painting combines historical details
and natural elements with a conscious eye
on design and symbolism. The flowers
within the paintings embodies the fleeting
nature of life and represent a different
significance to the individual subjects. The
Rose, for instance, in the ‘Portrait of a Young Woman’, is a typical symbol in the Renaissance period for love and beauty. The classical scroll decoration used in many of the paintings reflects the natural plant forms found in Nature.
To enhance the ‘illusion’ of life, each piece is painted with realistic eyes, enticing the viewer to delve deeper into the work and perhaps to reflect further upon the life and history of the actual person depicted.
This is an ongoing Series, more will be added in due course...
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