For a connoisseur, "the question of portrait painting is a mat ter of birth, associations and character. In other words, one cannot expect a man born and bred in a low environment and associating with people of his own status to understand the character of a noble sitter; nor can he have any insight into the essence of such a person's nature. Therefore, he cannot paint a portrait of such a one. The grand manner is a question of grand association. If it is mere imitation, it is worthless and shows how spurious it is." Psychologically different types cannot be expected to under stand each other. This must be considered when people offer their criticisms of a portrait. Portraits which are entirely satisfactory to the family of the sitter often displease outsiders. The sitter him self may be unsympathetic to them. For this reason the artist and client must be careful in accepting criticism without making due allowance for difference of temperament and the state of mind which has much to do with opinion. Mood, health, age, sex and eyesight are factors to be counted with. A man's portrait may delight girls and meet with adverse criticism from men. A short sighted person can never see a portrait as it should be seen. A bilious critic can never be expected to find beauty in anything. From day to day we change our opinions. What we liked yesterday may not appeal to us tomorrow. An artist can class people psy chologically by the remarks they make about a portrait ; one will see a benevolent smile where another sees a sneer. One notices a frown where another finds thoughtfulness. Then according to the occupation of the beholder certain things attract undue atten tion. A physician will notice the anatomy, a tailor the clothing.
Likeness, the sine qua non of the portrait, is after all very relative.
It is curious how blind most people are to the characteristics of those around them. The artist will often reveal traits which are unsuspected—good as well as bad. Any one who wishes a flattering likeness should endeavour to keep his relations with the artist very cordial. Abbott Thayer explains in a letter to Royal Cortissoz the reaction of the artist to his sitter: "The violin, whose strings ring whenever their note is sounded by an outside instrument, is pure symbol of the poet. In the poet cumulative images of every form of beauty begin in earliest infancy to occupy the brain, till, in his early maturity, these have become true touch stones, like the violin string. Let the painter once look upon a person who has, beneath no matter how many surface defects, one dominant greatness—purity at heart and fiery love of truth and beauty—and in his own heart the image of such a person ality wakes into brilliant ringing clearness and takes the helm, saying: 'Watch this being! Thou wilt surely see, now and then, the being she really is (it's now a she!) come forth and be fully in sight. Watch, then, and take in how she looks, for in those aroused moments she dominates the whole face and body, ruling all their details into her heavenly form.' " Breaking appointments, coming too late to sittings, bartering over the price, making re marks about the portrait before the artist asks for criticism, can mar the spirit that should reign during the pose. Hatred
and contempt can find their way into the portrait. We have examples of this in Goya's portraits of the Bourbons and in some of Sargent's portraits; and often when artists paint from models of a race they dislike.
The artist owes the greatest consideration to his sitter and should avoid fatiguing him. A comfortable position is necessary if the expression is to be natural and the sitting should be a de lightful experience to both the artist and the sitter. Van Dyck realized this and would often invite his sitters to dine with him so that he could study their expression when they were at their ease. Most people will be self-conscious and stiff at first but after some time will fall into natural poses. It is therefore wise to make small preliminary colour sketches until a good pose is found. This method has the added advantage that it gives the client an opportunity to express his opinion before the real work begins. An artist can do many different portraits of the same person. They may be all good and yet the client will have his decided preference for one.
It is the duty of the artist to find out what his client wants. Far from being a hindrance this may lead him to new ideas, just as the restriction of rhyme can suggest new thoughts to a poet. The greater the artist the more willing he will be to put his faculties to a test. Of course, this does not mean that he should do any thing against his better knowledge. Holbein painted Erasmus in many different poses but the profile in the Louvre alone gives us the impression of greatness. Often the profile is the only ad vantageous view of a head and yet there seems to be a prejudice against it. Some people think it is easier to do. It is said that some of the men who had their portraits done by Rembrandt in large groups refused to pay him because he did not show their full face. Needless to say, it requires just as much knowledge to build up the modelling of the side face as it does to paint any other view of the head. From a decorative standpoint a profile is certainly the most advantageous. It predominated in the early Italian por traits.
Lighting presents many difficulties and so much' depends on it that it requires the greatest attention. We have seen how largely the effects of the old masters depended on lighting. Holbein, Clouet and other early painters posed their sitters in full light which cast as few shadows as possible. Leonardo let the light fall from above to accentuate modelling. Rembrandt evidently used a small window which concentrated the light on one part. Ribera and his followers are known for their harsh light effects. It is evident that by manipulating the light different characteristics can be brought out or suppressed. The old masters generally posed women facing the light ; while with men they let shadows accentu ate the features.