Posthumous Portraits

[Garth Herrick]

The horizontal format is interesting, and the pool adds a context, but there is no need to be very specific about it. Maybe everything behind the girl could be a little less focused than she is. I just liked the way there's a ready-made context for her pose. I like the way her mother frames her, it is very supportive. The bright pool in the distance explains the intimate enveloping shadow that the girl peers out from.

An historic painter who might have handled this challenging lighting masterfully was Joaquin Sorolla, a Spanish contemporary of Sargent and Zorn. Wow, could he paint people in and out of the bright sun on the beach! He's worth a look for inspiration.

Garth