Plausible Portraits of James Lord With Commentary by the Model

Description

The writer who watched the painters — now watch him sit still. James Lord (1922–2009) spent his life chronicling artists: his A Giacometti Portrait is the celebrated account of sitting for the sculptor Alberto Giacometti, and he moved among the great figures of twentieth-century Paris understanding portraiture from the model’s chair. In Plausible Portraits of James Lord, he turns the lens on himself.

The book gathers portraits made of Lord over the years — by artists great and less known — each paired with his own commentary: sharp, funny, and revealing about what it feels like to be looked at for a living. It is a memoir in pictures and a masterclass in seeing, from a man who knew both sides of the canvas.

For art lovers who devour artist biographies: this is the view from the other chair. Witty, wise, and quietly moving.

Portraits of the writer, told by the sitter

Most of us will never sit for a portrait — James Lord sat for many. In Plausible Portraits of James Lord, the American writer famous for chronicling the lives of artists turns the lens on himself, presenting a collection of portraits made of him over the years, each paired with his own commentary.

Lord (1922–2009) was no stranger to the artist’s studio. Best known for A Giacometti Portrait, his celebrated account of sitting for sculptor Alberto Giacometti, he moved among the great artists of twentieth-century Paris and understood portraiture from both sides of the canvas. Here, as “the model,” he reflects on what it felt like to be looked at, interpreted, and transformed into art.

With wit and candor, his commentary reveals the sessions behind the images — the personalities of the artists, the negotiations of likeness and character, and what each portrait captured or missed. It is a rare view of portraiture from the sitter’s chair.

For art lovers, memoir readers, and anyone fascinated by the relationship between artist and model, Plausible Portraits of James Lord offers an intimate, intelligent, and thoroughly enjoyable read.

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