Emotional Portraits Research

Harold Pinter

1992

Justin Mortimer

National Portrait Gallery 

London, UK

In this portrait, a man is shown from chest height in front of stacks of books lining a red-orange wall. This painting is alarming, and the viewer is immediately shocked by the garish shade of the backdrop used. It is bright, patchy, and constitutes a large portion of the piece's composition. This contrasts with the blue sea of books that is piled to the height of his neck. The use of the prop of the book gives the piece an academic, pensive quality to it. While the red emits flare and perhaps anger, the blue represents tranquility, and their contrasting combination culminates in a fairly disturbed look on the man's face. Pinter gives the subject of his gaze a distanced direction, whatever that subject may be. This expression, one of pondering, is thematically consistent with the idea of academia and books piled up to one's head, figuratively and literally. His eyebrows are shown in an uncertain, questioning position. This look of either vacancy or deep thought, probably the latter, is confirmed with the gentle, expressionless placement of the lips. He is not frowning, but not smiling either. His facial expression and body language simply show thoughtfulness, a conflicted contemplation that manifests itself also in the background. 

Peter Monkman

2013

Julia Catherine Donaldson

National Portrait Gallery

London, UK

Here we see a woman sitting on a bench with a notepad in hand, perhaps a writer, poet, or journalist, Her blouse is a bright red-orange, with a pale skin tone and slight frailty. In the background, there are endless shelves and boxes with random objects that would indicate it is some form of storage. Interestingly, barely any of the objects can be recognized and their shapes are vague. The only noticeable prop is the fish that are apparently swimming through air to the left. Also, around the woman are twinkling, star-looking dots which adds to the sense of magic. What is fascinating about this painting is the presence of the woman. Though her blouse is colorful, most of the charm and delight we can observe is found in her elegant grin. Though she is not elderly, there is a sage element to her, as she smiles directly to the viewer with stars around her. As the woman writes in her book and glances upward, the mundane objects and clutter surrounding her come to life with excitement and color. This perhaps serves as a commentary on the nature of writing and its ability to animate, but without excessive analysis, it can be concluded that the magic we experience is primarily derived from her expression. As she sits upright with good posture and positive body language, showing us deep smile lines in the grin of her porcelain face, the painting creates a sense of enchantment.