The Met's new exhibition, The Face of Modern Life, is a celebration of the art of the portrait, but it's not your typical, straightforward portrayal. Curated by Stephanie D'Alessandro, this exhibition takes a broad and thought-provoking approach to the concept of portraiture, showcasing a diverse range of works that challenge our understanding of what constitutes a portrait. From German expressionist Max Beckmann's childhood scenes to Cuban artist Wifredo Lam's 'Ídolo', the exhibition explores the boundaries of the form, delving into the interplay between the artist and the subject, and the role of memory and myth in portraiture.
One of the key themes of the exhibition is the idea of resemblance. D'Alessandro highlights the case of Pablo Picasso's portrait of Gertrude Stein, where the artist famously struggled to capture the subject's likeness, ultimately creating a masterpiece from memory. This raises the question: what does it mean for a portrait to resemble its subject? Is it the physical appearance, or something more profound? The exhibition also features an excerpt from Stein's poem, 'If I Told Him, A Completed Portrait of Picasso', where she plays with the words 'exact' and 'resemblance', ultimately asserting that a portrait follows its own logic.
Another highlight is Lam's 'Ídolo', a recent acquisition by The Met. The painting depicts the Yoruba goddess Oyá, rooted in Lam's understanding of Santería, a blend of West African Yoruba tradition and Catholicism. The work's dripping media and depiction of Oyá's transition between human and animal forms showcase the artist's unique approach to portraiture, challenging traditional notions of representation.
The exhibition also includes works by French painter Francis Picabia, whose 'Elegance' is a dadaist portrait of a woman with a parasol. This piece is paired with Wallace Stevens' poem, 'Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird', which explores the beauty of inflections and innuendos. D'Alessandro emphasizes that even works that don't appear to be portraits can function as records of human presence and the drive to connect.
The Face of Modern Life also features abstract compositions by Paul Klee and Vasily Kandinsky. Klee's 'May Picture' and Kandinsky's 'Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II)' offer impressions based on the texture of experience and emotional temperature, rather than traditional portraits. D'Alessandro notes that these works are direct aesthetic experiences, capturing the senses and the artist's experience.
D'Alessandro argues that the fundamental concerns of portraiture remain timeless, despite the evolution of artistic techniques and philosophical ideas. She sees portraiture as an attempt to look beyond what we think we know about someone, to see more deeply. The exhibition's works reflect a human urge to connect and bridge the gap between the inside and the outside, as EM Forster famously put it. By taking the time to look into a portrait, we can understand something far beyond the subject, revealing deeper stories and reasons for things.
The Face of Life: Modern Portraits at The Met is a thought-provoking exploration of the art of the portrait, challenging our perceptions and inviting us to reconsider what constitutes a portrait. It is a testament to the enduring power of portraiture and its ability to connect us to the past, present, and future.
