Portrait Inspiration

Rosa, last of the Yaghan Indians, by Sam Abell

I've always been drawn to this portrait. Dignified, stern, yet fading and bleak at the same time, it is a fitting portrayal of someone who is the last of their kind. The use of one window for lighting gives Rosa a somber yet proud look. She still has dignity in the way she holds her cigarette, and her expression is strong minded.

However, her surroundings signal the beginning of the end. The colorful weaving on the chair offers a hint of the halcyon days of Yaghan culture, but the way it is lighted makes it seem that it is way past its time. The smoke produces a mystic, surreal atmosphere and also shrouds Rosa's face, perhaps soon engulfing her into the past. The back wall is completely unadorned concrete, which alludes to the bleakness of what's left of her culture and people.


Dewey Williams, shape-note singer of Sacred Harp, by David Alan Harvey

It seems like I'm drawn to these dramatically lighted, serious portraits. I really like the composition of this portrait, the position of the subject in the far right makes him appear to be sitting in the front of the room. The background is all blurred but clearly reveals the settings. Again, the way this is lighted give the subject a dignified and proud look. The cropping off the hand to make it seem to appear out of the dark adds to the dramatic feel of the portrait. The touch of red completes the picture.