Union League President
 

This is the presidential portrait of Daniel DiLella for the Union League of Philadelphia. Actually, this is his second portrait for this official purpose. The first was painted by a world acclaimed figurative painter, but as this client and the League were not satisfied with it, I was engaged to paint this subsequent replacement. The formal unveiling occurred just two weeks ago, on September 5th, 2006, and was a splendid affair, indeed. It will hold the best spot in a room full of past presidents for the next few years, then every portrait will be rotated on the walls again to accomodate some new ones.

Everyone at the unveiling appeared to be satisfied this time :D . The Union League of Philadelphia is a venerable institution founded in 1862 as a civic response to the ongoing U. S. Civil War. It remains today a civic minded club with a very genteel membership of old blood and old money; and mostly Republican Party affiliations. Abraham Lincoln holds god-like status here, as the original Republican President.

While the League, which must be the most opulent and sumptiously appointed club I could ever imagine, has graciously commissioned portraits of its own presidents every two years over the past one-hundred-and-thirty, it also has an exemplary collection of U. S. Presidential portraits hanging within its hallowed and gilt halls. All, but a few select exceptions, are Republican presidents. There is one lone Democrat: Andrew Jackson; and a few Whigs to accompany him, back to this nation's founding father, George Washington, proudly appearing within a colossal equestrian portrait by Thomas Sully that dwarfs the grand staircase. More recent examples rank the best in my eyes, and include Gerald Ford, and George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush#1), by Everett Raymond Kinstler, and Ronald Reagan by Nelson Shanks. Mr. Shanks also just painted the current League president (following my client), and is having a major exhibition of his paintings here, beginning in October, for a couple of months.

Needless to say, all this can be more than a little intimidating for my first foray with this institution, and it made me want to give this portrait my very best effort so it might hold a candle with the rest of the collection. My intent was to deliberately paint a conservative portrait image that would fit with all the fifty some peers upon the walls in Lincoln Hall. I hope in this regard, the portrait speaks for itself. The idea for the background comes directly out of the aforementioned legacy Sully portait of Washington. The League members make that visual contextual connection immediately. The size of this painting is 40 inches by 30 inches; which is about the average of the Hall's collection, and Mr. DiLella is therefore represented just slightly under life-size. By the way, Mr. DiLella graciously afforded me over twenty hours of sittings out of his consuming schedule. He was a serious client!

With all that said, allow me to share some pictures! The frame is by far, the fanciest I have ever employed, and yet it is relative simple and conservative within the context of this League's opulence. Cost was not an issue (and it was costly)!

Garth

For context, here are a few other shots. The room with the colossal chandelier and walnut paneling is the room full of fifty League presidents where this one will be added. The wall full of gilt frames comprise some of the historic U. S. presidents in the collection.

If anyone is visiting Philadelphia, the collection is definitely worth an hour's visit. Then again, there is the much touted Nelson Shanks exhibition coming right up which will hang in a room closely adjoining the portrait i just completed.

Garth

Union president!
 

A handsome portrait Garth. I love the little scene at the bottom, it is a great excuse for the warm background.

When I first saw this in the WIP's, I thought a 'Union President'?, they actually have funds for such a hifalutin' portrait! I was thinking Teamsters, not a Republican club.

Wonderful job, exposure, everything.

Congratulations on getting him to sit.

Hi Sharon, and thanks!

There is so much potential confusion here with "union" and "president". Thanks for helping to sort that out.

One feels to gain in importance upon entering this club, as an array of tail-jacketed service attendants will cater to your tiniest needs. Don't even think of coming around without a conservative tie and jacket! Cigars are welcome, but the one social vice that cannot be tolorated are cell phones! As I quietly was dining on my lunch buffet one day, I made the faux-pas of answering my phone, set to vibrator, with a whispered tone of voice. Swiftly a folded card with the pen-scripted message indicating that my time was up, was placed over my dinner plate! I was beat red at all the scolding stares from neighboring diners amid their power lunch discussions. Now I know better!

It was interesting painting this portrait on site. The League was a virtual art academy while I was working. I actually displaced Nelson Shanks' Studio Incamminati classes taking place in the same space I was working. It was interesting to meet some serious art students there.

Garth

Garth,

How wonderful to finally see this unveiled on the forum! As you know I've been priviledged to see it in various stages of completion, and I don't think the photos do it justice. Though the overall color scheme is warm, there's a lot more variation of colors, more cool highlights in the skin, and more of a three-dimensional feeling when viewed in person.

The thing that struck me right away was how you really captured this man's energy. He looks full of tensile strength, if that's a word you can use to describe a person. He's about ready to jump off the desk and get right to work. When you see the portrait in person the effect is even more striking.

Congratulations on making an artistic success of this, for putting in all those hours of life work while the Incamminati students (and teachers) were hanging over your shoulder, and for satisfying your client and the Union League membership. A real feat!

Hi Garth,
Congratulations with yet another successful delivery.

I am quite impressed when I compare the finished portrait with the early stages presented in the WIP section. The original layout is basically kept intact, but you have carried out a lot of small alterations that, in a mysterious way, have balanced the figure in a better way and even made him look both younger and more dynamic.

I agree that The League should be happy to know you ;)

Very nice, Garth-

Excellent job and happy clients. Wonderful.

Congratulations. (I'm glad to see the tie at the bottom of his coat).

Hi Garth,
Needless to say about your excellent work quality, what i'd like to applaud is your sensitivity to the color of the portrait with the environment that it will rest in. The portrait with the frame certainly befits the grandeur of the League's halls!

A question if i may ask: I can't help but notice the figures on the lower left corner of the portrait. Unless i've missed your explanation earlier, can you share the story behind those figures? :)

Alex! Alan! John! Marcus!

Alex: Thanks for persisting in your request to have me post this unveiling. Yes, the colors reproduced here do seem a little arbitrary, and they are more subtle and complex in the real painting. I suppose that is a common problem with web images just being a little off. I apologize.

I wanted to make this man even more tense than he is depicted. He always had that clenched hand griping that table!

The folks from Studio Incamminati were very gracious and accomodating to me. The class group was being conducted by Leona Shanks herself, who was so nice to step aside from her easel, a few feet away, so I might have some calm and privacy with my client sittings. A couple of times, a few students gave me some serious critiques, that I appreciated. As intimidating as the experience would seem, it really was not so bad!

Alan: Thanks; you are right, the general plan of this painting remained the same from the start. However, if you look closely (and I know you already have), everything has been revised and reworked and reconsidered along the path toward completion. In hindsight, the start seems rather clumsy. He has a different head, the hands were revised wholesale and repositioned numerous times, the jacket is revised, the table too; yes everything is different as much as it is the same!

John: Yes, that tie poking out was the one non-negotiable element! I trimmed and polished it a little though. I am glad you approve!

Marcus: Thanks for your kind words. One of the chief advantages to painting the portrait right on site at the League, was not only for the schmoozing and potential exposure, but especially for being able to see the developing painting in its intended setting at all times..... To see how the colors relate to everything else framing it. That was a big help for me!

The activity of small figures in the bottom left, are drawn literally from the Thomas Sully portrait of Washington on horseback (below). I watered down, and simplified the specifics to end up with more of a silhouette effect. I had to keep the background relatively subordinate to Mr. DiLella, even though it was litterally drawn from the large Sully.
The figures represent military offices from the Revolutionary War, loading and igniting a cannon.

Believe it or not, George Washington, and his horse appear to be life size on this canvas. This painting is colossal!

Garth

What a wonderful painting, Garth! (And gosh, I wish I could have been around for the unveiling.) I loved reading this story of the work you put into this painting and it all has succeeded so beautifully for you. This is going to be one of my "must-see" paintings during my next Philly trip.

Congratulations again!