“The Portrait of Monsieur Arakelian during a Wintry Night” by Aren Arakelian (2020)

“The Portrait of Monsieur Arakelian during a Wintry Night” is a rendition of “The Portrait of Monsieur Aublet,” a Neoclassical era oil painting of a wealthy actor by artist Guillaume Voirot, ca. 1782. While my rendition is fairly similar to the original portrait of Monsieur Aublet, there are several differences, such as the addition of new props and colors.

In “The Portrait of Monsieur Aublet,” the man in the black satin suit (Monsieur Aublet) is an aristocratic actor. In this portrait, he is shown wearing a white ruff (around his neck), a hat (with a feather), holding a small guitar, and sitting elegantly in front of music notes. In my rendition of “The Portrait of Monsieur Aublet,” I substituted the black satin suit with a black jacket. In addition to this, I changed the white ruff into a scarf, and replaced the black hat (with a feather) with a pom beanie. My goal was to create a winter vibe to the portrait, while mimicking Monsieur Aublet’s stance.

In “The Portrait of Monsieur Aublet,” the background is fairly dark with a bluish tinge. In my rendition, I have a more colorful and saturated background, with a bright and reddish tone. What I meant by adding this reddish tone was create a more warm and joyful look to the more sophisticated portrait by Guillaume Voirot.

This artwork spoke to me because I am a musician, who also possesses a guitar and has music sheets. I felt like I could perfectly mimic the elegance this portrait holds.