May 2007, San Francisco
Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum is one of the largest museums in the western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. There are thousands of works of art on display, representing several millenia of Asian art and culture. Although most of the artworks are three dimensional, there are also excellent examples of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean painting, and a finely drawn Study of the Head of a Woman (ink and watercolor on paper, c 1750) from Rajastahn, India.

January 2007, Raleigh
North Carolina Museum of Art
For a regional museum, the breadth and quality of the permanent collection here is a pleasant surprise. In addition to American works from the 18th to the 20th century, European masters from the 13th to the 20th century are well represented, with works by Raphael, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Rubens, and many others. A room dedicated to British portraiture contains fine examples by Beechey, Gainsborough, Raeburn, and others, as well as a beautiful Van Dyck portrait of the young Lady Mary Villiers (oil on canvas, c 1636) portrayed as Venus, with her cousin Lord Arran as Cupid.

September 2006, Chicago
The Art Institue of Chicago
Considered one of the finest collections in the world, this museum contains more than 2,000 European works from the 13th to the 20th century, including an outstanding selection of Impressionist paintings. American art from the 17th to the 20th century also is well represented. The superb neo-classical portrait of Amédéé-David, Comte de Pastoret (oil on canvas, 1826) by Dominique Ingres is a fine example of the high quality of work on display in the many galleries.

October 2005, Tokyo
Bridgestone Museum of Art
Shojiro Ishibashi, founder of the Bridgestone Corporation, opened this museum in 1952 in order to display his private collection. The museum exhibits European Impressionist paintings and 20th-century art, as well as western-style Japanese modern art. Included in the collection are self portraits by Manet and Cézanne, and a charming portrait of Mademoiselle Georgette Charpentier Seated (oil on canvas, 1876) by Renoir.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
On display from October 22 through December 18 is a special exhibition of European paintings entitled Masterworks of French Impressionism and Modernism from The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. Among the many excellent works is the painting of Queen Isabeau (oil on canvas, 1909) by Pablo Picasso. This semi-abstract rendering of the 15th-century French monarch was painted during Picasso's Cubist period.

January 2005, Tokyo
The National Museum of Western Art
This museum houses an impressive collection of paintings representative of western art from the 15th through 20th centuries. The collection includes works by Italian, Flemish, Dutch, French, British, and Spanish masters. The Self Portrait (oil on canvas, 1783) by talented 18th-century French artist Marie-Gabrielle Capet is typical of the excellent quality of art on permanent display at this museum. Also on display is a world-class collection of Rodin sculpture.

January 2005, Seoul
Hangaram Art Museum
A special exhibit entitled 400 Years of Western Art—From Poussin to Matisse opened this month at the Seoul Arts Center. The exhibit contains predominantly French works, including fine portrait and figure paintings by David, Ingres, and Delacroix. Charles Landelle was a 19th-century painter of the French school who enjoyed a successful career as an orientalist. His journeys to Morrocco and Algiers resulted in paintings such as this Juive de Tanger (oil on canvas, 1874).

November 2004, San Francisco
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Returning to this museum is always a pleasure. Among the many European master works on display are excellent portraits by Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Hals, and by many other Dutch, French, and British masters. The full-length portrait of Anne, Viscountess of Townshend (oil on canvas, 1779-1780) by Sir Joshua Reynolds is painted in the 18th-century British grand manner. The style is elegant, formal, and classical. Before her marriage to Viscount Townshend, the beautiful Anne Montgomery, together with her two Irish sisters, had been immortalized by Reynolds in the Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen (The Tate Gallery, London.)

May 2004, Beijing
Summer Palace
In Beijing can be found some of the most interesting architecture on earth. The Summer Palace is the world's largest imperial garden, containing magnificent buildings in the style of classical Chinese garden architecture. Dutch-American artist Hubert Vos painted this 92" x 54" portrait of the Empress Dowager Cixi in 1905. According to Cixi's request, she was portrayed as much younger than her 70 years, with 'no shadows and no wrinkles,' and Vos presents her in a symbolical and allegorical composition, as a tribute to the Chinese imperial culture.

May 2003, London
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Designed by Sir John Soane in 1811 and completely refurbished in 2000, the Dulwich Picture Gallery is one of Europe's finest small galleries. It houses an impressive collection of Old Masters, including portraits by van Dyck, Lawrence, and Gainsborough. One of the jewels in the collection is Girl at a Window, (oil on canvas, 1645) by Rembrandt. This work, which is a figure study rather than a commissioned portrait, displays Rembrandt's masterful techniques: the subject's head is bathed in a warm, glowing light while the texture of the linen garment is superbly rendered with thick impasto.

November 2002, San Francisco
California Fine Arts Museums
The California Palace of the Legion of Honor and the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum are the two institutions that comprise the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. European master works of the fifteenth through the twentieth century are exhibited at the Palace of the Legion of Honor, including paintings from Italy, France, Holland, Flanders, Britain, and northern Europe. The Legion of Honor houses master portraits by Gainsborough, Raeburn, Reynolds, and others. The Portrait of a Gentleman in White (oil on canvas, c 1637) is an excellent example of Frans Hals' originality and technical skill. The garment is rendered with bravura brushwork, while the head is carefully modeled, revealing the subject's self-assured character.

May 2002, Washington, DC
National Gallery of Art
Goya: Images of Women is the first major exhibit dedicated to the artist's portrayal of women. The collection of paintings, drawings, and prints (mostly from the Prado, Madrid) shows Francisco de Goya's view of women and Spanish society of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In this fine portrait of Señora Sabasa Garcia (oil on canvas, c 1806/1811) from the NGA Andrew W. Mellon Collection, Goya renders the shawl and the young woman's Spanish beauty with brush strokes of great freshness and immediacy.

December 2001, Portland, OR
Portland Art Museum
The National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, houses the oldest and most important collection of Old Masters in the southern hemisphere. A collection of paintings from the NGV ("European Masterpieces—Six Centuries of Paintings") begins its American tour in the Pacific northwest. The exhibit includes fine portraits by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, and Romney, and a superb painting by Rembrandt: Portrait of a White-Haired Man (oil on canvas, 1667). This portrait is typical of Rembrandt's late style, completed two years before his death. The bold brushwork and carefully modeled face and hand imbue the subject with a strong, palpable presence.

September 2001, Paris
Musée d'Orsay
This famous portrait of The Artist's Mother (oil on canvas, 1871) is an excellent example of James McNeil Whistler's originality and style. Whistler was influenced by Japanese art and produced compositions of enchanting mystery and atmosphere. His main concern was a harmonious arrangement of pattern and color, as indicated by the full title of this work: "Arrangement in Black and Grey No. 1: The Artist's Mother."

The Louvre
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732 - 1806) was the last great painter of the French Rococo style and is best known for his paintings on light-hearted sensual themes. In addition to these intimate works of Fragonard, the Louvre also shows some of his remarkable portraits, such as the Portrait of Abbe de Saint-Non (oil on canvas) and another portrait of the same patron dressed as an actor in the Fantastic Figure (oil on canvas). The rapid, sketchy style and broad handling of color in these works demonstrate Fragonard's technical brilliance as a painter.

June 2001, Lisbon
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Portugal is a pleasure to visit. It's a country of fascinating contrasts and a rich cultural heritage. Lisbon's National Museum of Ancient Art has an extensive collection of European paintings from the 15th through the 19th century including numerous portraits and impressive works by Courbet, Van Dyck, Velazquez and many others.

January 2001, Seattle
Seattle Art Museum
The first major West Coast showing of works by John Singer Sargent includes drawings, watercolors, and many outstanding oil paintings. Shown together for the first time in over 70 years are twelve large portraits of the family of prominent London art dealer Asher Wertheimer. The splendid double portrait of Ena and Betty, Daughters of Asher and Mrs. Wertheimer (oil on canvas, 1901) demonstrates Sargent's evocative, bravura style in portraying these women as strong, vivacious, and (for the time) audaciously dressed.

September 2000, Los Angeles
The Norton Simon Museum
Frans Hals introduced to portraiture a unique vitality and natural informality. This portrait, presumed to be of the painter Jan van de Capelle (oil on canvas, 1650-1655), is a fine example of Hals' distinctive painterly style. His bold brushwork gives the portrait a vibrant spontaneity and lively characterization.

The Getty Museum
Pontormo was an early Florentine master of the Mannerist style. This Portrait of a Halberdier (oil on canvas, 1528-30), formerly in the Frick Collection, is a beautiful example of Pontormo's chiaroscuro and elongated distortion.

May 2000, Paris
The Louvre
Baldasarre Castiglione literally wrote the book on the Italian Renaissance. As an influential man of noble birth, he wrote The Book of the Courtier, which helped shape and define the Italian Renaissance. In this beautiful portrait (oil on canvas, c 1515), Raphael renders his subject as the ideal courtier: intelligent, relaxed, and elegantly dressed. Except for the face, the work is almost monochromatic; Raphael thus draws our attention to the courtier's amiable gaze and compassionate eyes.

Musée d'Orsay
As one of the world's most beautiful museums, the Orsay contains a remarkable collection of sculpture and Impressionist works. Franz Xaver Winterhalter was a 19th-century German portraitist who painted in the royal courts of Europe. This painting of the lovely Madame Barbe de Rimsky-Korsakov (oil on canvas, 1864) is a fine example of Winterhalter's talent. The portrait is composed in the traditional pyramid format, and the subject (the famous composer's aunt) is revealed as sensitive, graceful, and charming.

October 1999, New York
The Frick Collection
This superb collection includes magnificent portraits by Titian, El Greco, Van Dyck, Hals, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and Ingres. British portraiture is well represented with works by Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Romney, and Raeburn. One master work that really stands out for me is Sir Thomas Moore (oil on panel, 1527) by Hans Holbein. Holbein's composition gives his subject a simple grandeur that's appropriate for Moore's strength of character and status as Lord Chancellor. This brilliantly rendered, powerful head was severed by Henry VIII in 1535.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The portrait of Princess de Broglie (oil on canvas, 1853) by Dominique Ingres is stunning and deeply impressive. As his last great aristocratic portrait, this work is a supreme example of Ingres' masterful technique. The graceful lines, delicate hands, statuesque beauty, and gorgeous satin gown are all painted with assurance and consummate skill.

September 1999, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Art Gallery
Four Centuries of Portraits was a special exhibit of portrait art from Renaissance to modern. Included was a fine painting by Williame-Adolphe Bouguereau, a lesser-known French portrait artist of the late 19th century. While Impressionism was gaining popularity, Bouguereau found success painting portraits in the traditional manner. His Self-portrait (oil on canvas, 1879) is an excellent example of his skill in rendering likeness and flesh.

May 1999, Madrid
The Prado
Diego Velazquez' Las Meninas (oil on canvas, 1656) is one of the most outstanding paintings of all time and the subject of numerous books, articles, and interpretations. Velazquez is a 'painter's painter'. His brush work shows extraordinary facility, expressing form and texture with great economy. This huge work (125" x 109") is a group portrait of the royal court, and includes a self portrait of the master. Velazquez' signature allusive style is particularly evident in the garments and in the exquisite portrait of the young princess, the infanta Margarita. If you're heading to Europe, this work alone is worth a detour through Spain.

April 1999, London
The National Gallery
There are so many powerful works in this museum, but somehow I'm always drawn to the simple Portrait of a Young Man (oil on panel, c 1485) by Sandro Botticelli. This work is a beautiful example of the Florentine master's graceful linearity. Though simple in concept, this portrait is arresting. The young man's features are rendered with a startling freshness and directness.

The National Portrait Gallery
Many paintings in this gallery are included not for their artistic merit but for historical interest. We're naturally curious about famous figures from the past. However, the gallery does include some gems by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Sargent. I found the self portraits by Reynolds, Gainsborough, and George Romney (oil on canvas, 1784) to be of particular interest.

The Courtauld Collection
This small but excellent collection includes some fine Impressionist paintings and some notable works by Rubens. I especially enjoy Gainsborough's Portrait of Mrs Gainsborough (oil on canvas, 1779). It's a beautifully intimate work. The artist's wife is painted with sensitivity and tenderness, surrounded in black lace that swirls with Gainsborough's energetic, fluid brush strokes.

March 1999, Washington, DC
National Gallery of Art
Rembrandt painted dozens of self-portraits. This late work, Self portrait (oil on canvas, 1659), painted after his bankruptcy, is penetrating and profound. Rembrandt portrays himself as aged, weak, and ruined. And yet the execution of the painting is masterful and sure, and is typical of Rembrandt's mature, late style. In spite of the apparent rough application of paint, the portrait has a soft, atmospheric quality that is quiet, but haunting.

The National Portrait Gallery
Like its counterpart in London, this portrait gallery is more noted for its subjects than for its artists. The gallery of presidents provides an interesting look at how portraiture and artistic style in the United States have changed over the last two hundred years. This gallery will be closed for renovation by the Smithsonian Institute between 2000 and 2003.

November 1998, Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum
Lots of fine Dutch landscapes, still lifes, and interiors here, including some outstanding works by Vermeer. But Rembrandt steals the show with his master work The Night Watch (oil on canvas, 1642). This large group portrait of a civic guard broke new ground with its dramatic use of light and action. Rembrandt creates a pictorial drama of unprecedented vigor.

The Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem
Located in the beautiful historic town of Haarlem, this museum displays works by a variety of Dutch artists, as well as a number of group and individual portraits by Hals. It's of interest to see how, in his later works, Hals' brush work became even looser than before. Definitely worth a day trip from Amsterdam.

November 1998, London
The National Gallery
Goya painted the splendid portrait of Dona Isabel de Porcel (oil on canvas, c 1805) in return for the hospitality he had received when he stayed with her and her husband in Granada. With a simple composition and subdued palette, Goya highlights the subject's bright eyes and contrasts her fair skin with the pink satin gown and black lace mantilla.

The Wallace Collection
Francois Boucher's portrait of Madame de Pompadour (oil on canvas, 1759) is typical of the French Rococo style that the marquise de Pompadour sustained by her patronage of the arts. Many of Boucher's works are voluptuous and sensual, but here he presents Madame de Pompadour as a mature woman of culture enjoying the gardens of her home.

Tate Gallery
The John Singer Sargent exhibit was a popular success in London and, later, in Washington and Boston. The portrait of Lady Sassoon (oil on canvas, 1907) is one of Sargent's grandest late creations. Lady Sassoon, a famous society hostess, is shown as refined and intelligent, enswirled in black and pink garments that accentuate her soft skin and elegant hands.