The Skull Beneath the Skin, The Soul
Behind the Image
The portraits of Rudolf Nureyev in the exhibit Capturing
Nureyev: James Wyeth Paints the Dancer reveal not
only the personality behind the famous dancer, but also
the development of Wyeth's style of painting over the
years he was inspired by Nureyev.
Wyeth began painting
Nureyev in 1977. Upon first getting to know Nureyev,
Wyeth became fascinated with him as a person, not just
as an acclaimed dancer. His works from this period mostly
consist of preliminary sketches of the dancer's face and
body, not of images depicting Nureyev dancing.
Of course, stardom had already brought about countless
images of Nureyev to magazines and television. But although
his likeness had already been captured on film, Wyeth
wanted to reveal more of who Nureyev really is in his
portraits. "Photographs can give something, but perhaps
only the artist can reveal the skull beneath the skin,
the soul behind the image." 1
In order to capture Nureyev's likeness in the late 1970s,
Wyeth created several sketches, acting as studies to familiarize
himself with the dancer's features, particularly the nuances
of his facial expressions. Many of these explorations
also included notes that explain the proportions of Nureyev's
body, such as "calf is 2 widths of ankle," a
technique that dates back to Leonardo
da Vinci, who wrote about proportions of the human
figure extensively in his notebooks.
Wyeth's desire for accuracy dates back to his training
at a morgue
when living in New York, where he would sketch parts of
cadavers. To ensure accurate depictions of Nureyev's body,
Wyeth would use calipers to measure the dancer's calf,
shoulder, and wrists.
In Double Image, Head, Nureyev (Study #21), the
exploratory nature of these early works is evidenced by
the multiple sketches of Nureyev's head in different orientations.
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James Wyeth
Double Image, Head, Nureyev (Study #21), 1977
Combined mediums, 20" x 16"
Collection of the Artist
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Wyeth often painted on cardboard or tan toned board,
using the tone of the background itself as the mid-tone
for the skin color. He would then use white to create
highlights, and charcoal or washes for darker tones.
In Portrait of Rudolf Nureyev—Dress Rehearsal/Raymonda,
Wyeth has depicted Nureyev in costume for the ballet Raymonda,
which Nureyev had recently danced as the character Jean
de Brienne with the American Ballet Theatre in 1975.
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James Wyeth
Portrait of Rudolf Nureyev—Dress Rehearsal/Raymonda,
c. 1977
Combined mediums, 19 1/4" x 15 3/8"
Collection of the Artist |
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Wyeth often painted Nureyev in this particular pose,
with his hands on his hips and his shoulders somewhat
forward. After observing Nureyev on stage and in casual
environments, Wyeth had surmised that this was Nureyev's
natural pose.
After Nureyev's death in 1993, Wyeth painted large-scale
works depicting Nureyev on the stage. Since Wyeth had
already mastered sketching his likeness, and because the
artist could work without the model looking over his shoulder,
these later paintings reveal more of Wyeth's own imagination.
"Nureyev is depicted as the world knew him, as a
dancer on stage, but with a vision that is pure Wyeth."
2
As a result, the tone of these works is much more dramatic
and surreal. His largest painting during this period,
Le Mort de Noureev¸ was inspired by theatrical
scenes, such as in the final death scene in Romeo
and Juliet. Notice how Wyeth's use of color bathes
the dancer in warm light (despite the cold, white quality
of the dancer's skin), while the background is in shadow-as
if Nureyev is on stage. The two ballerinas, reminiscent
of the dancers painted by French Artist Edgar
Degas, are mourning the death of the dancer while
remaining in a choreographed pose, which contributes to
the otherworldly quality of this work.
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James Wyeth
Le Mort de Noureev, 2001
Combined mediums on cardboard, 42 1/2" x 78"
Collection of the Artist
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Jamie Wyeth's many paintings and sketches of Nureyev
reveal how a visual artist was inspired by the life and
work of a famous dancer and by the magic of dance itself.
1 Pamela J. Belanger, ed. Capturing Nureyev:
James Wyeth Paints the Dancer. Hanover, New Hampshire: University
Press of New England. 2002. p. 13.
2 Pamela J. Belanger, ed. Capturing Nureyev: James Wyeth
Paints the Dancer. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press
of New England. 2002. p. 62.
