If you had a giant fine-art portrait of yourself, what would you do with it?

My bias is just to straightforward ask the lady if she would consider selling it to you, but engineer's approach was interesting.

I guess it depends on what your relationship is. If someone you knew 10 years ago called and asked me to sell them a painting I had in my living room, that would be a bit off-putting, but if you have an ongoing relationship, maybe it would be fine.

1. I would NOT be hanging a huge portrait of myself anywhere, esp where people would SEE it.

2. If I wanted it, I'd tell her I was interested in purchasing it if and when she ever wanted to sell... and that's it. I believe she'd give you first chance since it IS of yourself, and I don't think she'd find that proposition offensive.

Agree on number 2..

on number 1, that was a problem for me with the 4 x 5 foot painting with no sensible place to store it. Of course now I'm almost 40 years older, who would know that was of me? Depends on space and context for me (just repeating myself already).

It can be embarassing if:
-you were a journalism student in Mexico
-posed for a second rate painter
-the painting became part of an album cover



And you are now the next Queen of Spain:

you guys forgot sozo is really pretty...

I would keep it hidden. Then after my death, at the reading of my will, I would pass it along to someone who hated me. In the will, it would stipulate that they would have to keep it hung up in view for all those who came to visit their home. If they did this for [insert large amount of time], they would get another present. (of course I will have amassed millions, upon millions of dollars by the time of my death). These people thinking that if they kept the painting up, that they would get a large sum of money, would do this. You know how greedy us Americans are! As they reached the final day of the term agreed upon in the will, they would given a much smaller version of the portrait that they could do what they like with

I 'd mount it on my wall between portraits of George Washington and Herbert Philbrick.





David

I'm not sure what I would do with such a piece right now, but I think it would be fabulous to have it in the family for Sozlet and her future family. I would love to have such a painting of my late mother or grandmother. Think legacy!

I suggest that you get it - and put it on a huge billboard overlooking some well traveled road so that everyone can appreciate your beauty!

At least this is what I would do if I had a huge portrait of me.

Thanks. Yeah, it's happened to me -- I made a pen-and-ink drawing of a friend in high school, he asked me if he could buy it years later and I ended up giving it to him as a wedding present -- and I didn't think twice about him asking. Seemed perfectly natural to me, I just had to decide if I wanted to give it up since it was a drawing I was happy with, execution-wise. (I'm glad I gave it to him, he loves it and I don't miss it as much as I thought I would.) (This all reminds me I do want to put up more of my own art though, most of it's in a closet now.)

At any rate I wasn't in the least offended at the request nor did I think he was weird for wanting it.

It could also be that she has it hanging on her wall only because it is something her son created. She may even want to replace it with something else but doesn't because she doesn't want to hurt her son's feelings by taking it down.

I think your first instinct is the right one, just casually bring it up and say that if she ever wants to, you'd be interested in buying it.


How would Mr. Soz feel about a portrait of you done by an ex-boyfriend hanging in your home? That's probably something to consider too.


I have a painting my mom did of me when I was a teenager. I've moved at least 20 times since then and it goes with me each time to hang in my bedroom, even if it is just hung behind the door where I don't always have to look at it. I like it because it has most of my favorite colors and because she painted it, not because it is of me. It doesn't look anything like me all these years later.

So are you going to post a picture of this painting? My curiosity is way up.

E.G. is fine with it, he's a little more interested than I am (mostly for the reason cited by several here, so that sozlet can have it down the line), but is leaving it up to me.

I'd love to see your portrait, if you and BBB are comfortable sharing it.

Which painting? The drawing that I've been talking about?

I don't have a picture of it. Haven't seen it in probably 19 years or so. It was done while we lived together so I have a clear mental image -- I saw it being created and then saw it for a while after. (We kept all our own art when we split up, no swapping or discussion.)

To roughly describe it, the photo was taken while I was on a hill behind our house on a fairly cold day. I have a coat or something on. My hair was(is) very long and it's kind of windblown. Dark hair. I'm looking up at the camera/ viewer. Expression is kind of hard to read, somewhat amused, somewhat annoyed (I think I was actually thinking at the time "take the picture already." ) The composition is slightly off-center -- mostly face to the left, mostly hair (and some background, trees and lake) to the right. Lots of depth with the handling of the graphite and lots of very good line work, especially with the hair.

I really don't remember size, it was "big" but maybe smaller than 3' X 4'. I wouldn't be surprised at 2' X 3' if that's what it turns out to be.

Oh, do you mean the pen-and-ink drawing I made of my friend? I didn't take a picture of it first so don't have an image of that either. Sigh. (Next: ask him for an image of it.)

I don't understand what is strange or creepy about a portrait of someone, or yourself, in your home.

What did people do before cameras?

All (or many/most) those types of pictures you see in museums were once hanging in the homes of people who commissioned them to be created.

I'm not much for taking photographs, and I think most of the reason I don't bother is that I know they would just end up in an album or box somewhere, and seldom, if ever, get looked at.

If it's good art, and not displayed like "HEY! Look at me!" I think it would be a lovely thing to have.
Ex-bf's mom said it best "I get to see you every day"

As the years go by, you can remember who you were at that time in life.

I have lots of family photos and portraits in my home. I rather like being surrounded by people. I don't understand why anyone would think a portrait was a creepy subject unless it was dark and gloomy.

A self-portrait? If it's as good as you say, I'd be proud to hang it in my home in whatever room it looked best. Even over the fireplace mantel. After all, if someone comes to my house, they should expect to see me!

Well......there's always the exception to the rule.........


gawd

ok, seriously....

this one looks kinda like me when I was a teen, or early 20's.

I think it would be cool to have something like this from that time.