unofficial blog for course ART007

Lehigh University
Art Architecture and Design
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Blog Post #14b: Effective Portrait

What is this post? Choose a portrait that you think is particularly effective and explain why you chose it.

John Harrison, Lumber Salesman, and His Daughter Melissa, Lewisville, Texas, November 22, 1981 taken by Richard Avedon. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2017/feb/25/richard-avedon-american-west-texas-in-pictures

I was originally drawn to this portrait because of how it had me ask myself, “why?” As I looked at the image longer I decided this was a playful image, and not one to stir concern. But despite this conclusion there are aspects of this portrait that still stir question for me. The mans facial expression is a hard one to read. He could be angered, lonely, stressed, but also could be completely content and happy. In my opinion emotion is one of the most intriguing aspects of a painting/photo etc. In addition I love how youth in captured in this image. Although the father is hard to read, the baby’s face is innocent and curious, expressing an emotion that does not necessarily match the fathers.

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