A question I always ask when I view a portrait is ?what do I know about this person by viewing this?? All to often the answer to my rhetorical question only involves that she is pretty. Sometimes, I really can only learn the persons gender.
This portrait is not one of those. Here is Nea. She is dressed rather plainly and wears no makeup. I could stop and say that she is attractive, but there is so much more.
Her clothing is plain and simple. She wares a heavy coat, a scarf and a green beret. All are very practical items. The scarf is significant. Although her garments are plain, there is an attempt to establish her own identity.
The coat and beret are used to keep out the cold, as is the scarf. However the scarf is different. Unlike the coat and the hat, there is some style and design to it. It breaks forth with a bold red. This is a very outward sign of passion and femininity that her expression does not express.
Her pose is very aggressive. She gazes into the camera, almost judging the viewer as much I judge her. Her shoulders and face are square to the camera. Her face gives no hint of emotion.
All of this would be lost if not for the background. For like the cold winter day this was taken, it is a cold and emotionless place. The buildings are not painted and plain. Trash litters the ground. To match Nea?s expression, the environment is cold and hard. The buildings mirror Nea?s clothing, they are plain and functional.
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