Frank Giordano 2006

Nelson Shanks painted this portrait of Frank Giordano using oil. The smooth finish and attention to detail give it a formal, almost stately feel. You can see the touch of the brush in the subtle gradations of color, like the soft pinks and grays in the face. It’s all about capturing not just a likeness, but a presence. Look closely at the hands, clasped together in his lap. Shanks uses a limited palette to create a sense of depth and volume. The warm highlights and cool shadows create a tactile sense, that you could almost reach out and touch them. The rest of the composition is formal, controlled. The hands feel more expressive, like they are telling a story of their own. Shanks, who painted Bill and Monica, knew how to make a portrait resonate. He had a sense of drama and intimacy which owes a debt to painters like John Singer Sargent, who knew how to reveal a subject's personality through their pose and expression. Art is a conversation, and this portrait speaks to that tradition.