The Portrait and Aging

I am developing a mini-series for my podcast, Beyond the Paint, centered on Portraiture and what it reveals about Aging. It is a 4 part series, commencing on Sunday, June 9 until June 30; episodes will be published each Sunday.

This interest, exploring aging and ways it is revealed both visually and metaphorically through the lens of a portrait, is inspired by the painting “La Vecchia” which translates to old woman by 16th-century Venetian artist Giorgione. It is exhibited until August 4, 2019 at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut. The exhibition of this astonishing work is organized by the Wadsworth and Cincinnati Art Museums in collaboration with the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture.  This rare loan from the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, Italy, brings one of the few works attributed to enigmatic Italian Renaissance master Giorgione. He evokes the beauty of Renaissance art, imbuing the luminosity of oil paint, delicate brushwork to an ordinary, aging woman.

I have visited and stood before La Vecchia; her weary eyes, crumpled skin, and slumping body attract and repels my attention at the same time. From her sleeve, she holds a paper that states, “col tempo,” which translates “with time you too will grow old.” Join me in a lively and in-depth look at La Vecchia and the ways other artists in the coming weeks, like Rembrandt and contemporary artists, infuse the universal story of aging in portraiture. You can listen to Beyond the Podcast by following the link or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/encounters-with-art