Portrait of Mary with Jesus and Joseph

Oil on canvas, 30” x 40”, April 15^th, 1997, Donated to Covington Catholic High School by the Class of 1971

Tom started this painting with the permission of his graduating class. He met with the development committee of Covington Catholic with the sketch he had prepared. After some initial suggestions, he presented the final sketch. The committee suggested that Joseph needed a beard and was supposed to look about 7 years older than Mary. The background shows the what is now the old school building. A new building has now replaced the old one.  Tom traveled to the Marianist center in Dayton, Ohio to study the material in their Mary Library.  

For about a month he worked on the canvas. Painting the clothes was first and then the background and finishing with the faces last. He waited until last to paint Mary’s face. Tom used his nephew for Jesus and his wife for Mary. One of the class of 1971’s father, who was in the first graduating class at Covington Catholic in 1929, played the part of Joseph. Tom used his military photograph for the painting.  

This was a traditional portrait for Tom. All the aspects of classical portrait painting applied to this work. His intention was to replicate the masters. Religious painting is very set in its ways and to rehash the past will display things of the present. The result would be considered an improvement to the present day culture.  

By painting people without regard for their resemblance to a individual allows the artist to just express himself. During the formal portrait, the subject takes the foreground and plays off him creating a center effect that must be addressed.  

Link to Covington Catholic High School:

http://www.covcath.org/

35th Reunion

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