This 1651-54 portrait by Velazquez of the presumptive heir to the Spanish throne, Maria Teresa, as a fresh-faced young teen is a standout in the Met’s current seven-painting show of work the famed Spanish court painter. Framed by an elaborate wig with butterfly ribbons, Maria Teresa’s round features glow with an innocence that would vanish with her future marriage to French King Louis XIV. (At the Metropolitan Museum of Art through March 12th).
Tag: portrait
Roy Lichtenstein at Castelli Gallery
Like finding shapes in the clouds or interpreting a Rorschach inkblot, Roy Lichtenstein’s brushstroke head sculptures from 1987 build a portrait from a few well-placed marks. Though she’s derived from Pop Art and Abstract Expressionist painting techniques, this blond muse rejects painting altogether, manifesting as a 3-D bronze sculpture. (At Castelli Gallery through Jan 28th).
Francesca Alexander in ‘Sight and Site Lines’ at Driscoll Babcock Galleries
At a time when sensitive portraits of African Americans were far from the norm, 19th century Boston artist Francesca Alexander’s tiny ink on paper sketch from 1852 of Julia Benson charms. (At Driscoll Babcock Galleries in Chelsea through Oct 22nd).
Lynn Katsafouros at Prince Street Gallery
Lynn Katsafouros updates the Byzantine icon with this painting of a saintly woman with a resigned stoic look, surrounded by tiny birds and wearing what could be an artist’s smock. (At Prince Street Gallery through Oct 1st).