Engulfed in their very own finery, the themes of Volker Hermes’ portraits epitomize a bygone period. From the Italian Excessive Renaissance to French Rococo, his digital reinterpretations playfully conceal the faces of rich and aristocratic sitters.
Hidden Portraits: Previous Masters Reimagined, a brand new e-book forthcoming this month, gathers a quintessential number of Hermes’ works into one quantity. Highlighting the artist’s wry commentary on luxurious, social standing, and fame, the choice delves into the historical past of portraiture by way of a humorous lens.
Hermes expands upon the ornate silk robes, brocade, and lace ruffs that characterised elite vogue by way of the centuries (beforehand). An unlimited bow cocoons a girl in “Hidden Wright of Derby,” for instance, elaborating on a portrait of a rich girl painted by Joseph Wright of Derby, now within the assortment of the Minneapolis Institute of Artwork.
In hanging profile, strings of pearls and a inexperienced, helmet-like hood envelop Bianca Maria Sforza, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, in “Hidden de Predis,” the Fifteenth-century inspiration for which might be seen on the Nationwide Gallery of Artwork.
Discover extra of Hermes’ work on his web site, and snag a duplicate of Hidden Portraits on Bookshop.
