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Philosophy @ The Virtual Art Museum

Doing Philosophy through Visual Images

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Portraits Philosophy Questions

1.What strikes you most prominently about this portrait? 2. How do you think Sargent felt about Madame X? 3. Do you think this is a beautiful painting? What accounts for its beauty 4. If you discovered that this painting caused a scandal, how would that change your understanding of it?      1. What features of this portrait stand out? 2. How do you think Matisse felt about the woman in the portrait? 3. If you discovered that the woman was Matisse’s wife, how would that affect your understanding of the painting? 4. Is this painting beautiful? Is Mme. Matisse beautiful? Does that matter?       Michael Borges Study, Kehinde Wiley, 2008      

3.  Can a painting be beautiful even if its subject is not? That is, if the person who is featured in the portrait is not beautiful or handsome, can the painting still be? What is the relationship between the person portrayed and the portrait itself?

 

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