C. F. (Chris Fox) Payne
"Nothing in a portrait is a matter of indifference.”
—Charles Baudelaire
An old proverb has it that “a face is the index of the mind.” Lauren Bacall felt “Your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.” Then again, Groucho Marx said “I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll make an exception.”That said, it’s a fact that illustrators have been portraying all kinds of faces for all kinds of reasons. The Society’s Permanent Collection is rife with portrait imagery that falls into several categories: Famous entertainers and sportsmen are favored, and then there are the statesmen and generals, cardinals and kings. Pretty women are a perennial favorite—those we know, like Jean Harlow, and those who remain nameless but stay forever lovely. Some works fit into the “imaginary” category, such as Milton Caniff’s sultry “Copper Calhoon” of the comics. And then there is a large collection of artists portrayed by fellow artists—from William Oberhardt by Ray Kinstler and vice versa, to William Meade Prince by James Montgomery Flagg, to Phil Hays by Andy Warhol.Throughout history, artists have portrayed their subjects with an eye to their individuality and their place in the culture. Sometimes with historical reverence—on a TIME cover, sometimes with ironic relevance—as a caricature in MAD magazine. A portrait recalls a person in his or her essence and presents it to the world. In short, its purpose is to immortalize.
C. F. (Chris Fox) Payne
(b.1954 )
“The Stupid Club”
Esquire magazine, 1995
Mixed media on board
Donated by the Artist in Memory of
Franklin and Martha Payne
095.006
James Richard (Jim) Campbell
(b.1942)
“Montage of Noel Coward”
Reader’s Digest international editions
Mixed media on board
Donated by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (Richard Berenson)
096.004
John Bradshaw Crandell
(1896-1966)
“Portrait of Anne Wolf”
Pastel on board
Donated by Anne Wolfe
080.070
Robert “Bob” Crofut
(b.1951)
“Portrait of Mick Jagger”
Oil on canvas
Donated by the artist
084.043
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