"Sargent's stunning portrait of Lady Agnew has always attracted me for its bravura brushwork and superb color harmonies," says Dave. "In this rendering, I have not attempted to copy Sargent's unique style. I have modeled the subject's face with more finished detail, and the fabric is rendered more softly. Also, the canvas size is slightly different from the original. At the time of the original painting, Lady Agnew was unwell. I have endeavored to portray her as she would have looked in better health." Even with these adjustments, the portrait maintains a powerful impact. [ Detail ] [ Zoom ]

Young Woman Seen From the Back
Oil on canvas, 18" x 14"
After Jean-Baptiste Greuze
(1725-1805)
The Prado, Madrid.

Greuze was hugely popular in his day for painting narrative scenes in the moralistic genre. Lithographs of his works were widely distributed. As a skilled draftsman, Greuze produced many portraits and character studies. The young woman in this portrait, presented in the form of a bust, engages the viewer with a lively expression. In this rendering, Dave has retained the line and form of Greuze' original, but modified the flesh tone and overall color scheme. [ Detail ] [ Zoom ]

Madame Barbe de Rimsky-Korsakov
Oil on canvas, 48" x 36"
After Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1864
Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

This life-size portrait showcases the artist's rendering of fabric and flesh. According to Dave, "This is one of my favorite works at the Musée d'Orsay. It's an arresting portrait. Winterhalter has portrayed his subject with beautiful, pearlescent flesh and a soft, sensous charm. Painting her garment was an interesting challenge for me since the style is vastly different from what we are used to seeing in the 20th or 21st century. But even though the garment takes up a third of the picture space, it's the subject's head that is the focus of attention. The sweeping curves of hair, ribbons, and arms all lead the viewer's eye to Madame Rimsky-Korsakov's lovely face." [ Detail ] [ Zoom ]

The bright red of this elegant and attractive woman's dress is balanced by the dark green of the sleeves, chair, and background. Highlights in the rosary, the hardware on the chair, and the subject's gold chain and head piece provide accents for the painting and interest for the eye. The rosary and lap dog [ detail ] are symbols of piety and marital fidelity. The original work was formerly attributed to Bronzino's mentor Jacopo Pontormo. It's a larger painting (35" x 27 1/2"), and is referred to also by the title A Lady with a Dog.