Wall Street Journal article on presidential portraiture

[Sharon Knettell]

What CAN one do when you are faced with yet again another suit.

As I see it Presidential portraiture is suffering on three fronts, lack of interesting costumes, backgrounds and poses.

There are not any choices of exciting attire, a suit and a tie, that's it folks. A charcoal, navy, gray or brown one. The color of the tie IS the ONLY exciting diversion.

Backgrounds: snippets of Georgian architecture, billowing heroic American clouds with an equally energetic flag, White house balconies,the Oval office and so on.

The poses. The president should NEVER look like a slacker, even when he is sitting down he should look like he is ready to leap up or be signing a passel of bills to save the Union. A recent portrait of Bill Clinton was criticised as being too relaxed a portrayal. They can be leaning-but NOT too much (see Bill), hands in pockets are risky (see Bill). The best option is standing-frontal or three-quarter and this goes without sayng-NO reclining poses.

I suggest that to perhaps inject the genre with some excitement, the president should become a fashion leader. Here are some haberdashery ideas from a recent men's fashion show in New York City.

[Sharon Knettell]

On second thought, that might NOT do at all. As a whole the lot is a bit conservative.

Ransacking the past on fine French and English portraiture, I came up with a few ideas for the Current Occupant. I hope the artist who gets this plum job will be inspired by these ideas I offer freely.

#1: Addressing Congress
#2: Supporting the troops
#3: At home on the ranch in Crawford

[Jean Kelly]

Thanks for the best laugh of the day! These are much, much, better.

Jean

[Alexandra Tyng]

Sharon! That is SO funny!

[Wayne McMichael]

John Howard Sanden doesn't follow trends he sets them. Catesby Leigh and The Wall Street Journal follow trends and are media whores. They are not worthy to even comment on Sanden and nothing they say is worthy of discussing here.
However, I enjoyed the opinions on style and tradition.

[Sharon Knettell]

Mr. McMicheal,

I think your choice of an adjective to describe Mr. Catesby Leigh was an unfortunate one. He is in fact a thoughtful critic of modern art and architecture much like Mr. Kinstler's friend Thomas Wolfe and his opinions show up in Christian journals, much like Sanden's. Frankly I find him a bit too conservative myself and do not agree with some of his points of view but he makes reasoned and educated arguments.

I think criticism is good. We all need it from time to time even if sacred cows are gored. Otherwise, we and the genre become rigid.

Here is a thoughtful essay on art Mr. Leigh wrote which I found on the Mim's atelier site. http://www.taemag.com/issues/article...cle_detail.asp

[Ant Carlos]

I cannot visualize the second image in the JHS's commentary page. Does it work for you guys?

Ant

[Wayne McMichael]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

Mr. McMicheal,

I think your choice of an adjective to describe Mr. Catesby Leigh was an unfortunate one. He is in fact a thoughtful critic of modern art and architecture much like Mr. Kinstler's friend Thomas Wolfe and his opinions show up in Christian journals, much like Sanden's.

Sorry Sharon, I just call them as I see them. Maybe we could see some of Casteby's work.

His critique is a bit like my dog Sparky criticizing my cooking isn't it? My dog isn