Copying at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Classical painting is a visual language in and unto itself and requires me to study how to interpret and design visual information.  To become better acquainted with the creation of classical art I have been studying from masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the past few months.

After William Bouguereau's painting Breton Brother and Sister

After Carpeuax's sculpture Ugolino and His Sons

While I find viewing artwork that I admire very helpful, I also often find that I look more carefully while copying from pieces of artwork.  These studies have enhanced my understanding of representing form and inform aesthetic choices that I make in my studies at Grand Central Atelier. Studying from paintings allows me to study paint application and form modeling while many of the sculptures I have copied provide an opportunity to select viewpoints of poses that I find engaging and display crucial choices made to model forms in a way that is both realistic and beautifully expressive. 

After Randolf Roger's sculpture Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii

After Domenico Pieratti's sculpture The Youthful Saint John the Baptist (with an imagined background)

Furthermore, these copies provide a platform for ideas of the type of art that I am interested in creating.  With a better realization of what makes me connect with amazing works of art I can strive towards aligning my work towards the aesthetic of the works that I admire.