Arduous demands can be made on models, who are always seen in paintings but never credited. Gérôme’s Emma Dupont, Joanna Hiffernan, and Renoir’s Lise Tréhot.
Altfest
Degas’ photos of women bathing, Gérôme supporting photography as a fine art, Pierre Bonnard’s snaps of Marthe, and the extreme realism of Ellen Altfest.
A selection of paintings from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Ellen Altfest, a modern vanitas, and the fast food bodegone.
We don’t know their names as well, but we know the faces and bodies of those who model for artists. They achieve some kind of immortality.
Ellen Altfest paints the real world, a morsel at a time. Her paintings are both very modern and deeply traditional, and absolutely magnificent.
The Eclectic Light Company 