Stella Bowen: Portraiture
Portraiture
Portraiture was Stella's passion. She painted hundreds of works, largely commissioned by others, but also of friends and family, along with a handful of self-portraits. Stella's portraiture work was partly motivated by her need to earn money, as commissioned portraits were a well-paid and dependable source of income. However, she also had a real love for this type of art and often experimented with the form (as seen most successfully in Bomber crew).
Activity
Assemble examples of portraits or self-portraits from websites, art books, or even current magazines and newspapers.
- Choose a portrait and describe the sitter's clothes. Why is the person wearing these clothes?
- Describe the sitter's pose or gesture. What do these imply?
Why do you think each subject was selected and an artist commissioned to create this portrait? - Do you think this portrait was intended to be displayed in a public or a private place?