During my travels, I come across many old photographs, I usually try and covet the most unique and odd into my Skeleton Krew Collection. Featured here is a sneak peek of the painting Blackened; the innocent face is fairly young and reminds me of Victorian mourning photos of the recent departed.
During the Victorian era it was not uncommon for the family to touch the corpse or hold lost children in the arms of the mother's one last time, evening dine in the same room as the corpse. This photo reminds me of a child's innocence lost once being introduced to death for the first time, whether be a younger brother or grandmother.
The deceased portraits were commonly represented as though they were sleeping rather than dead, though this photo is rather a twist on the concept. The viewer of this portrait can be thought of as the departed looking into the eyes of the mourning. I often think of my paintings as a modern personal momento mori, reminding me that death is only a flicker away.
The painting is still in the beginning rough stages. The child features a plaid dress which is going to be turned black to match her black gloves. Her piercing eyes peek out from the black mask which is wrapped in black lace that surround her curls. I often find the more petite faces are much more difficult to capture detail, so this lovely child will take many more sittings, but I thought I'd share the process.
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