Term "heirloom" in marketing portraits?

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Recently a discussion arose on an artists' list I frequent about whether the term "heirloom" was a propitious one to use when marketing portraits. Someone asked, "Right now, is the 'heirloom' approach necessarily a good one for portraits? Maybe another word that doesn't sound so, well, hoary? Dunno, but maybe worth some exploration?

Another person objected, "Yeah, in today's instant gratification society, the word 'heirloom" conjures up images of old money, old people in ornate gold frames hanging in some dark foyer, and a future that today's people don't even think about. Somehow there has to be a spin on it that can make it seem more attractive than that..."

Someone else chimed in, "I don't see a problem with promoting the idea of a future family heirloom as a selling point. Stress the use of archival materials to enhance the thought of the portrait being around for generations, along with the potential for enjoyment by the current generation. In the case of children, you are 'capturing' more than a moment in time, such as a photo would, but encompassing the whole personality... the essence of the child. We all know how fast kids grow and how rapidly they change... a portrait holds them in time."

This was prompted by my mentioning that an upscale magazine just included a large photo of one of my paintings in an article about unusual gifts, with the text "Artist Leslie Ficcaglia of Port Elizabeth suggests creating a new heirloom as a gift: a portrait of the person. Ficcaglia's subjects have included Gov. James McGreevey, and she also has created images of individuals, couples, children, pets and families, etc. "

Since that artists' list includes people who use a wide variety of mediums and subject matter, I was interested in portrait artists' opinions on use of the term heirloom. Is it stuffy or a turn-off, in your experience, or does it inspire people to commission a painting for themselves?

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I think the term is an attention getter and a sales pitch; if you are sentimental it will make you perk up and read on, otherwise you just ignore it and go on to the pricing information.

I think it also makes a difference as to who will see the promotional material. If you are in an area where getting ones portrait painted is a long time tradition, the person viewing the promo material will probably be reminded to jump on the bandwagon.

Overall, I think more people are skeptical about catch phrases and view them for what they are.

[Steven Sweeney]

To the extent that it means anything in this context, "heirloom" tells me that, at a minimum, the artist has used top-grade, archival materials, so that the painting can be passed on to the next generation, intact, without any more degradation than has to simply be accepted in the transient, fugitive nature of the substances. We all turn to dust, or mud, eventually, and probably a lot sooner than our paintings will! But let's face it, we're taking all that archival stuff on trust, too. If it's hokey, we'll all be dead before the markers -- and the lawyers -- are called in.

The term also suggests to me a one-of-a-kind, very personal creative artifact. Years after my dad's death, I learned of the existence of a journal he'd written in high school, and I recently reprinted it and, having been interested for a long time in fine bookbinding, I hand bound it in hard-cover (the cover alone was fifteen separate pieces of bookboard, fabric, and linen tape). Unfortunately, I was living overseas and didn't have access to the materials to ensure archival quality of the paper itself, or the printing process. But I decided to go ahead. I was the only one who was going to do it, and I might drive my motorcycle into a stone wall tomorrow. (I did that recently, so it's on my mind.) Is it "heirloom"? Well, possibly. Archival? Nope. Valuable? I think so. But if so, someone two generations down from me will have to revive it. I'm sure a computer will be involved, though I wish that weren't the case.

But all you have to do is ask the artist what he or she means by "heirloom".

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Nice to hear you weighing in, Steven, particularly since you had your father's journal reprinted and therefore could theoretically create an additional copy at some point, what you did was a beautiful testimony to his work and highly appropriate. Sounds like an heirloom to me.

The artists on the list I mentioned were wondering whether using the term "heirloom" was actually sound marketing or whether it was a turn-off because of potentially musty, creaky connotations, to say nothing of its hints at the client's mortality since, in order to become an heirloom, someone must die to pass it on. Because of their take on it I was wondering whether it was a good term to use in the context of portraiture, after all.

The language I use on my site is: Create an heirloom - commission a portrait of your children, grandchildren, spouse, parents or other loved one, painted in oils on canvas, for your family to cherish for generations.

[Catherine Muhly]

I have absolutely no problem with the term, "heirloom". The people who commission or display portraits in their homes - whose decors can accommodate a portrait done traditionally - are likely to appreciate the idea of an heirloom, which, like a tradition, gets passed down through the generations. I saw your website and frankly, I like the wording of your ad. I can't imagine someone commissioning a portrait that is not intended to be passed onto posterity.

To me "heirloom" connotes stuff like linen, silver, jewelry, lace, china, antiques, portraits, and not musty stuff like crypt, dead, etc. For people with traditional tastes, "heirloom" is a positive selling point.

[Patt Legg]

Hi Leslie,

The word heirloom seems wonderful to me and to a degree I feel that one's use of various words for an attention-getter or sales pitch is as personal as the portrait itself. I also feel that the region or part of the country seems to relate to the reaction to different expressions and/or words.

I have not used that particuliar word but I often will write, "an oil portrait is a gift that will continue giving for generations", and so on. I may reword it slightly now and then.

Any word that implies valuable (not in the dollar sense) but emotional value, will give the possible buyer an image in their mind's eye from which they will make their decision.

[Mari DeRuntz]

Depending on many factors, "archival" might be a better word than "heirloom," but then again, words have always interested me as a medium.

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Thanks for your input, everyone. I've heard enough to feel comfortable about my continued use of the term. Mari, I'm a language maven also, but I suspect the use of "archival" might work better among artists than with the general public. It strikes me as a somewhat specialized word and doesn't carry with it the general connotations of status and wealth that "heirloom" might.

I appreciate people taking the time to consider the question!