Profile of Alex 2018

Aaron Nagel created "Profile of Alex" using oil on canvas. In this serene portrait, Nagel captures Alex in profile, a classical pose often used to depict nobility. Yet, here, it serves to highlight Alex’s striking androgyny, challenging traditional gender norms within portraiture. The smoothness of the skin and the stark lighting give a sculptural quality to the face, almost as if it were carved from marble. The direct gaze is absent, inviting us to consider Alex’s identity without the demand of confrontation. Nagel, working in a contemporary context, seems to be in dialogue with historical portraiture while consciously disrupting its conventions by presenting a subject whose gender expression is beautifully ambiguous. The dark background emphasizes the figure, and the focus on Alex’s internal world invites us to reflect on our own perceptions and expectations of identity.