Our good friends Ed and DJ were having dinner with us at a nice Westport restaurant and Rousseau served us (she later recalled that we were a ‘good’ table). She was so pleasant and with such a mobile expression and well defined features and that wonderful tuxedo-esqu blouse… I wanted to use her for a portrait right away… DJ asked me if there was something wrong — she said I kept staring at our waitress — and honestly, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I introduced myself and asked if she’d model for me. She was flattered, said yes right away, and a few days later came down to the studio so I could photograph her. I’d asked her to wear the same blouse and… It was a terrific 90 minutes as she told me about her life and childhood and parents and… Well — a number of my photos of her are super-expressive and well suited t0 my drawing, painting, and printmaking… But this one called out to be first and I love the image and love this face and wispy hair and… Well, EVERYTHING, really. Kinda recalls earlier Netherlandish portraits, doesn’t it? A little?
"Rousseau" 2010, 75 x 45 inches, drawing in pen and ink on heavy watercolor paper
Detail light side eye
Detail lower right with pencil signature
Rogier van der Weyden's c. 1440 silverpoint on paper portrait of a young woman 16.6 x 11.6 cm
Judith Leyster's 1629 oil on canvas Jolly Toper 89 x 85 cm (recommended by my great friend 'V' who suggests that 'teeth' in art is quite rare)