My painting, Bogart (2017) is a tribute to screen legend, Humphrey Bogart. It has been more than 60 years since his untimely death. Yet, he is still able to inspire a new generation.
With his talent and inimitable style, Bogart was second to none. He wasn’t particularly tall but he made up for that in presence. He was a man of old world charm with a touch of class.
It was important for him to be well dressed. Therefore, if the production budget was on the smaller side, he wore his own suits. This was preferable to being seen in an outfit of inferior quality.
Many of the roles he played were similar to his own character. He could be tough but he also had a soft spot for beautiful women.
Simplicity
Ultimately, Humphrey Bogart was a master of his craft. Although he is best known for the film, Casablanca, it was The African Queen which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1951.
His starring role was alongside Katharine Hepburn, who inspired my recent work, Katharine (2017). In this painting, I wanted to showcase the quintessential Bogart.
I based my work on a photograph taken in the early 1940’s. In particular, I liked the hat and suit as a symbol of sartorial elegance.
I have been drawn to this aesthetic before in Miles (2011) and Photobooth (2014). These paintings depict my grandfather during the same era. In these paintings, as with Bogart (2017), I used a limited palette of mostly black and white.
For me, Bogart’s appeal has always been timeless. I wanted my painting to capture both his sophistication and his strong sense of masculinity. I also painted his cigarette, as so many of the characters he played smoked. The result pays tribute to an iconic actor and shows that charm never goes out of fashion.