“Her hair was the fading fire of an ember, but her eyes had seen the sea and contained the storms and squalls and the becalmed waters that follow on the tempest; her countenance placid as a rain of ash, or snow settling on gravestones.”
The woman in this portrait has a secret side, a shadow side that we can see but we cannot know. She gazes at us steadily, without anxiety; she has the look of antiquity about her, as though she lives in some past age—as if she has come to have her portrait done, perhaps from a sense of obligation, curiosity, or vanity. Perhaps this character is—or was—married, and her family is used to wielding some influence in her society.
This portrait was taken in August 2020 during the pandemic. Perhaps this character survived a plague during her own time as well. How did it change her? Was she a helper or a survivor?
The subject had this to say:
When you are forced to remain isolated due to a plague, there are few amusements. One of those is sitting for your portrait. Many thanks to the portrait maker and to Pendragon Costumes (their Masquerade line) for the dress.
Elizabeth
One wonders what portraits—of ourselves or others—will be iconic to people’s lives from this time. This one is meaningful. It represents moments from a quiet summer at home. Which images will carry resonance and why?
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