The National Portrait Gallery

1. Critique the logo

The logo is very similar to the logo of The National Gallery. Once again, it's pretty much just a typeface with no indication of what it houses or exhibits within its walls. The curvy-ness of letters makes it stand out somewhat so it's not a completely bland font, but overall, it's still very basic and plain. I don't see how this logo relates to the architecture of the museum or the collections. On a side note, I did see "advertisements" or rather posters that indicated the different portraits exhibited inside. I saw a picture of Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren along with other paintings I did not recognize. Therefore, The National Portrait Gallery did a better job showcasing what they house inside their museum than the National Gallery. 

I don't have any specific suggestions on how they could liven up their logo. I think that the posters they had alongside the fence leading up to the museum was a nice touch, but you wouldn't see those portraits unless you were already standing in front of the museum. There's got to be a better way to incorporate the contents inside into the logo so that anyone interested in visiting the museum would have an idea of what they'd find inside.

2. Self portrait

My self-portrait was based on the painting to the right which is called "Mike's Brother" by by Sam Walsh (oil on masonite, 1964).  This portrait best identifies me because I would've been the ultimate Beatles fan girl if I had been alive back in 1964. I am a sucker for boy bands and if I had been alive during this time, I know I would've had a copy of this print on my bedroom wall. The painting itself fits my personality because of the colors and overall presentation. I loved this painting when I first saw it going up the escalator. The blurriness of the colors adds to the whimsy in this painting, which I appreciate because it reminds me of water color painting back in grade school. It creates a sense of nostalgia. 

3. Study abroad friend: Noel

 

(Margaret More is the woman with the book in her lap.)

First off, I am really sorry for how bad this drawing is! LOL! It was my very first drawing in years! This was one of the first paintings I saw in the National Portrait Gallery and when I saw that Margaret Moore was in this painting, I knew I had to draw Noel as her. Margaret Moore, or Meg, was the daughter of Thomas More, the author of Utopia. I saw a play about her and apparently, she was a very well educated woman for her time due to her father educating her himself because he believed that women were capable of academic intelligence. Due to her history, I felt that Noel was similar to her in the intelligence aspect because Noel is also a very academic-minded woman. Also, I have no problem imagining Noel in "the olden days." I think if she were ever to pursue acting, she could totally be in a period piece and fit in exceedingly well. I think her mannerisms make her seem more mature and sometimes, more solemn, which fits my idea of women in the past.

 

Additionally, Noel and I (and Meg) share a love of reading and the fact that Meg is painted with an open book in her lap just confirmed for me that she was the one I ought to model a drawing of Noel after. 

(Sir Thomas More, his father, his household and his descendants by Rowland Lockey, after Hans Holbein the Younger

oil on canvas, 1593) 


 

4. Study abroad friend: Pa Nhia

I felt that this portrait by John Partidge (1825) best identifies the personality and mood of Pa Nhia. Although the costuming is somewhat masculine, the characterization in the facial expression isn't. It's young and unsure, and yet, happy at the same time. The fact that he's looking to the side instead of straight at the artist also reinforced to me Pa Nhia's shy, introverted nature, which I felt I could see in Partridge's drawing. Also the softness in the shading matches what I view as the softness in Pa Nhia's nature and personality. The sitter in the painting looks like a puppy or a friendly dog like a golden retriever. In that same sense, Pa Nhia's gentle nature and softness matches a pencil portrait.

 

5. Study abroad friend: Ariel

Self-Portrait

by Ceri Richards
oil on composition board, 1934

When I saw this painting, I was struck by how cool and unique it was, which of course led me to think of Ariel. Ariel is artsy and original. The funkiness of this painting and the cubism effect made me think that this would be the best portrait to model Ariel after. Although she looks kind of masculine in my picture, I based it off of a picture of Ariel that I found on her facebook thus that explains why she has a piercing above her right eye. The mood of the painting matches Ariel's personality because it's very neutral, the colors don't jump out at you and say "Hey, look at me!" You want to look because you know that there's something different about it/her and you want to study it some more. The fact that it's a self-portrait of a painter further convinced me that this was the portrait to model Ariel after.

 

6. Study abroad friend: Clare

                     

 I chose to model Clare's portrait after Andy Warhols' Queen Elizabeth II. Truth be told, I don't know a whole lot about Queen Elizabeth II. But I know that Clare likes Warhol and I felt that this portrait was a really good fit for Clare because she's an alpha-gal and she could be a CEO of some company or a QUEEN because she's got the personality to lead. She's smart, she's adventurous and she's fit to be a ruler. I think that Clare can appreciate how Warhol took this rather typical portrait of a British monarch and made it cool and hip by playing around with the colors.

Additionally, Clare is going to graduate this semester with a degree in political science, which just further reinforces how much this picture is perfect for superimposing her face onto!