Photo Credit: “Nicole Eisenman ‘Dark Light'” by C-Monster.
A portrait is simply a representation of a specific person. It has been used to convey the sitter’s power, significance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, intellect, or other characteristics. Portraits were typically flattering, and artists who did not indulge this, like William Hogarth, often saw their work rejected. A notable exception was Francisco Goya, whose portraits of the Spanish royal family appeared strikingly candid.
Historically, portraiture was reserved for depicting royalty and religious leaders, with the best artists commissioned to capture not just the likeness but the “true essence” of their subjects. Early portraits were often idealized representations of character rather than faithful depictions. As civilization advanced, so did portraiture, influenced by various aesthetic movements.
Artists created their own techniques to depict middle-class life, from the noble portraits of the Renaissance to the realistic depictions of Realism. Some even painted self-portraits. Today’s portrait artists are inspired by the human emotion-expressed works of artists such as Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, and Gustav Klimt, who are still evolving this timeless genre.
Painters captured humankind in visual snapshots prior to photography. It is believed that ancient Egyptians painted some of the earliest pictures onto stone in order to immortalize kings and gods. Throughout the ages, the genre was mostly employed for religious and royal topics, and the greatest painters of the day were hired to portray the spirit as well as the outward look of their subjects. Early portraits were so frequently creative representations of characters.
Over time, portraiture has changed to reflect various artistic movements and times. A large number of today’s modern portrait artists draw inspiration from human expressionist artists such as Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, and Gustav Klimt, who are reinventing the genre in fresh and creative ways.
Among contemporary portrait artists, commissioned portrait painting—where the artist works to order—became less common. Instead, artists painted their friends and lovers freely, with little constraint. Despite their unusual styles, a large number of Picasso’s female paintings may be recognized as portraits of his lovers. In the meantime, photography became the predominant medium for conventional portraiture, making what was formerly an expensive object available to almost everybody.
Major 20th-century art movements largely ignored figuration, which had been a central focus for painters before photography. However, in the 1980s and ’90s, artists began revisiting figuration, revitalizing the portrait genre in new ways. Elizabeth Peyton’s intimate portraits of art figures and celebrities explored themes of youth, fame, and beauty, while Kehinde Wiley adopted the style of Old Masters to celebrate Black subjects historically marginalized in art. These diverse modern interpretations demonstrate that, contrary to earlier claims, the portrait genre remains rich with possibilities.
Because Nicole Eisenman redefines the notion of portraiture within the framework of contemporary art, it is possible to classify her as a contemporary portrait artist. Eisenman defies the rules of conventional portraiture by fusing figurative painting with aspects of abstraction, caricature, and social criticism. conventional portraiture concentrates on accurate pictures of persons.
Nicole Eisenman: What Happened features over 100 pieces from her three-decade career, many of which have never been presented in the United Kingdom. Massive paintings, sculptures, monoprints, animation, and drawings are among the works in the exhibition that illustrate the variety and formal originality of her work. Eisenman’s works offer sharp, often humorous critiques of major socio-political issues, exploring themes like gender, identity, politics, U.S. civic turmoil, protest, activism, and the influence of technology on relationships.
The exhibition is arranged in eight chronological sections, beginning with a series of ink drawings portraying lesbian life in 1990s New York. Pieces like Untitled and Captured Pirates on the Island of Lesbos mix eroticism with humor, challenging traditional gender ideas while questioning patriarchal power.
In the late 2000s, Eisenman shifted from self-reflective work to a broader global perspective, influenced by events like the 2004 U.S. presidential re-election, the War on Terror, the post-2008 financial crisis, and growing awareness of the climate crisis. Her works during this time, such as Coping and The Triumph of Poverty, draw on early 20th-century figuration and expressionism, reminiscent of styles seen in Vienna, where her grandparents once lived. In another series, Eisenman set scenes in a beer garden, depicting herself alone with death lurking among other figures.
Eisenman’s works are known for their dark humor and insightful critiques of pop culture and art history. In Seder, for example, she blends Impressionist and Post-Impressionist elements, drawing influence from Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pierre Bonnard, and perhaps a nod to Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want. The painting juxtaposes tradition and innovation at a contemporary Passover meal, where the viewer assumes the role of seder leader, while the participants’ expressions range from interest to boredom.
