volker hermes' hidden portraits
Classical aesthetics have been at the very top of the fine-art hierarchy for a long while now, with portraits specifically being seen as the cream of the crop when it comes to artistic appreciation and value. Getting your portrait painted might have been the most time-consuming way to capture a bomb selfie back in the day, but it also marked you as an incredibly privileged member of the elite (AKA, a bit stuffy and very posh).
Volker Hermes transforms these opulent portraits by concealing the individual’s faces and instead using their clothes and accessories to display their powerful social stature (which they pretty much did inexplicably anyway). Volker states that his work helps to examine “the context of art as a means of representation and the relationship between image and reproduction," though they’re also pretty dang nice on the eyes. Take a gander at all of Volker’s portraits here, and make sure to follow his Instagram to never miss out on his super-cool stuff.
_(11)_(1).png&q=80&h=682&w=863&c=1&s=1)
.jpg&q=80&w=316&c=1&s=1)
.jpg&q=80&w=316&c=1&s=1)
