In the Gallery of Doubtful Likeness

In the Gallery of Doubtful Likeness (from the series: Ars Longa Vita Brevis)

The sculptor and painter once occupied an awkward position and to some extent, they still do. They fashion their imitations of reality in the full knowledge that strict accuracy is beyond their power. Even if they were skilled enough to be perfect mirrors of the world, the vanity and pride of their subjects would rarely permit the truth to be told. And so they trade in half truths and distortions.

My admiration for this piece of work, whose origin is unknown, stems from my genuine feeling that its author chose to eschew flattery and tell the honest truth. I cannot know if this is so, but if I’m wrong, at the very least I overpraise the dead artisan rather than the dead artifact.