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PORTRAITS A closer look at the artist’s style

Gaughin A strange mix? Experts continue to debate what Gauguin intended with these contradictory symbols. He seems to be dealing in opposites: good and evil, heaven and hell. He places expanses of flat, intense color—red and yellow—next to each other. He frames his floating head with stylized, arching green stems and square flowers. Is this the Garden of Eden... or... ? Is Gauguin telling us he is part angel, part devil? Perhaps he's showing himself as a sort of magician—an artist with tremendous creative power who can conjure identities through his artistry. It is a very startling and thought-provoking portrait.

JUDITH LEYSTER Her posturing in the piece, with her raised chin, and the dynamics of showing herself deeply focused on the act of painting, also convey a sense of pride- and in addition to that, underscore the idea that she is an artist at work, showing herself in the pursuit of the noble goal of fulfillment, of personal achievement and happiness through her own means. Do a self-portrait in the style of Judith Leyster. Pose in front of a mirror holding some objects that represent your interests, such as a book, bat and baseball or a musical instrument. Lightly sketch yourself with pencil, filling the whole page. Use the medium of your choice to add color: oil pastels

David Alfaro Siqueiros Self-PortraitHis art directly reflected the time period in which he flourished as an artist. His art was deeply rooted in the Mexican Revolution, a violent and chaotic period in Mexican history in which various social and political factions fought for recognition and power. The period from the 1920s to the 1950s is known as the Mexican Renaissance, and Siqueiros was active in the attempt to create an art that was at once Mexican and universal.

Andy Warhol How to Create Pop Art Portraits Art movement came into its own in New York in the 1960s. Pop artists were fascinated with consumerism and the objects of popular culture. Andy Warhol was obsessed with Hollywood's fame and glamor. He used photographic silkscreen to create his famous portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Mick Jagger, Elvis Presley and Jacqueline Kennedy. This process allowed him to mass- produce a large number of prints with ease. Warhol used a method of mass production to create his images of celebrities because he felt celebrities themselves were mass produced. You can create your own Pop Art portraits using a much simpler and more economical technique. Just trace a photo and make sure to paint it with bright, vibrant colors.

Van Gogh’s portraits In July while painting in the fields around the hospital, he suffered another severe emotional crisis that left him unable to work for several weeks. Here is the first painting he made after this episode—a self-portrait.Van Gogh included his palette and brushes in the work. Perhaps he was trying to reassert his identity as an artist. He used strong colors and broad brushwork— again conveying nervous energy.

Van Gogh says he was calmer in the one with the light blue swirling background. Does that surprise you? If you thought the swirling background might suggest he was more upset or nervous, you’re not alone. But Van Gogh was making a comparison. The dark swirls of paint, his greenish skin tone and burning gaze make the earlier portrait more agitated.