Join local artist Mark Mindel for a morning portrait class with a historical twist.
Taking inspiration from the masterful charcoal portraits featured in Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits, this session will explore the expressive possibilities of charcoal as we work from a live model styled in the fashion of the dynamic women in the exhibition.
Often reductively dubbed “Dollar Princesses,” the women Sargent portrayed exude presence and complexity. Through nuanced gesture, confident line, and an eye for character, Sargent conveys their rich inner lives—and, at times, his own opinions of them.
The two-hour session is open to all, and begins at 9am with a private tour of the exhibition at Kenwood House. Mindel will speak about Sargent’s remarkable technical skill, his emotionally charged gestures, and his use of materials and supports. This will be followed by a 90-minute guided drawing class in Kenwood’s Old Kitchen, next to the Brew House cafe. The class will introduce participants to the painterly, impressionistic potential of charcoal while sharpening observational skills. Expect a series of short experimental exercises followed by a longer pose, as we work toward emulating the expressive clarity and sensitivity found in Sargent’s portraits.
Mark Mindel (b. 1992) is a London-based artist and educator. A graduate of the Ruskin School of Drawing & Fine Art, Oxford, Mindel works in painting and printmaking. Their colourful, expressive practice often incorporates narrative elements reflecting on masculinity, identity, and the human condition.
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Meet at the entrance to Kenwood House for a private early morning view of the exhibition. Then we will walk round the outside of the house to the Old Kitchen, which is next to the café and the loos for the hands-on practical drawing session.
