Frank Mason: Portraits 1951 - 1983

This presentation of portraiture by Frank Mason spans over thirty years from 1951 - 1983, demonstrating the artists’s deep fascination with portraiture as a subject, as well as his lifelong goal to “breathe life” into each canvas. Formally, his style continually evolved as he was exposed to different approaches, earlier on those being more in line with the likes of John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, while later in his life, and after a two-year trip to Italy, his style began to reflect the techniques of Titian and Tintoretto. Expressive brushwork and an increased ability to move paint with extreme dexterity characterize his methodology in the years after 1966. 

Always painting from life and with live models, the subjects of these paintings are a diverse set of family, friends, students, and acquaintances (sometimes met through random interactions on a busy New York street corner). Mason enjoyed staging models within his studio, often dressing them in costume and having them pose for several hours as he worked. 

Throughout his career, Mason painted hundreds of portraits, practicing a disciplined approach. This selection serves as an entry point into Frank Mason’s expansive repertoire of portraiture.