Monday, June 20, 2011

FJP: New Bronze Bas Relief Portrait Created



Bronze Bas Relief Portrait of General Fitz John Porter

Strawbery Banke Museum’s cooper, Ron Raiselis recently envisioned a wood carved portrait medallion of General Porter. Once he began working with the project, the concept of creating a clay model for casting developed. After studying numerous images of General Porter, the artist’s intent was to make Porter appear a bit older than he had as a uniformed officer, in the post court-martial years, with a slightly preoccupied look and somewhat care-worn visage. The first study was very different from the final—it was more abstract. In the final version, Mr. Raiselis refined the piece to more fully reflect Porter’s personality. The sculptor of the Porter equestrian monument, James E. Kelly, had also been asked by the family to complete a portrait bas-relief, so it has been a true addition to the visual body of work on FJP.

Ron Raiselis, artist

Gift of Steve and Julia Roberts, 2011

Casting by Skylight Studios, Inc.

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