Something about portraits...

4:00 a.m.

The portrait was a technique that attempted to represent the visual appearence of a subject. It was a common practice till the 20th century. In its beginings, the artist worked, on commission, for kings or the wealthier ones among the society. The painting then became part of the assets of the State or was kept within the family. With time, it reached the middle classes: the best-known example is probably La Gioconda by Leonardo Da Vinci.

In some cases, the subject of the portrait was idealized... Let's see, for example, the case of Simonetta Vespucci, painted by Botticelli (Florence, 1445-1510). This young woman, who died at an early age, was Giuliano de Médici's greatest love, that's why the artist depicts her dressed as a nymph, with an exaggerated long neck, to show the presence of the Médici family medallion.

Rittrato di una giovanne donna, by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1480-85)

Technique: mixed technique con poplar / Measures: 82 x 54 cm

Städel Museum - Germany

Some contemporary artists nowadays still do portraits, such as the group Mondongo, with Manuel Mendanha and Julieta Laffitte. For them, the portrait works like a document, a map displaying the social and historic context of the subject. Mondongo has gained popularity thanks to the diverse and eccentric materials they use in their works. Here, the portrait of Francisca, daughter of the artists, made with cotton threads stuck together in volatile adhesive.

Francisca, by Mondongo

Technique: cotton threads over wooden canvas, stuck with volatile adhesive / Measures: 300 x 200 cm

Mamba - Buenos Aires

This work can be seen at the Mondongo exhibition at the Mamba, which was curated by Kevin Power. It's one of the many portraits in the exhibit. No famous subjects, mostly family and friends, and, because of that, all of them belong to Mendanha's and Lafitte's private collection.

Our dear Museo de Bellas Artes has a famous portrait of it own, but this time explained by Art Historian and Investigator Roberto Amigo.