When the Patek Philippe 3448 Becomes a Magical Portrait
I must begin with the Patek Philippe 3448. There are many layers to this illustration but the main product focus is on this gorgeous gold case dress watch and thus it requires top billing. And to discuss the Patek Philippe I have to step back to Baselworld and what has happened to the show in light of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19.
Watches and Wonders Geneva cancelled their show and everyone was wondering what would happen with Baselworld. Not more than a couple days later, Baselworld announced it would postpone its show until January of 2021.
This disrupted my plans as I was anticipating exhibiting a new collection of watercolor on paper paintings of Patek Philippe watches and collectors. It was one of my more anticipated projects for 2020 and suddenly, it was gone.
I turned attention to my illustration series, ‘The Artist.’ I could point my energy to this series and include the Patek Philippe inspiration I had been gathering for some time.
Watch - Patek Philippe 3448. Perpetual Calendar in Yellow Gold.
Suit - Inspiration from Sciamat, the brother owned tailoring company from Italy.
Model - Steven Onoja. New York based, Nigerian born artist and model.
Background - A section of ‘Witches on the Way to Their Sabbath’ or ‘Visions of Faust’ originally painted by Luis Ricardo Falero
On the dial of the watch we see the date Thursday, January 28. This is the date Baselworld has rescheduled the show for in 2021. It’s a reference for me in 10 years to look back and remember this time in history. It is a reference to COVID-19 without directly referencing the virus. In fact, my original version had the celestial hand pointing to 19.
On a more historic note, and as a tie in to the background the original release of the 3448 in the 1960’s had received, what I like to think was affectionate, the nickname ‘Flying Saucer,’ (source via A Collected Man) This gives an appropriate amount of celestial identity to this watch that it was a perfect fit for the Luis Ricardo Falero inspired background. The nickname and the moonphase together just fit too well.
The background is drawn from a section of a painting by the Spanish artist Luis Ricardo Falero, ‘Witches on the Way to Their Sabbath’ or more simply ‘Visions of Faust.’ Luis was inspired by and captivated by astronomy. His work dealt with female nudes in relation to the cosmos, fantasy and to themes of mysticism. This all tied into his allegorical work as well as his celestial work. In reality there are more directly applicable paintings by Falero that would have matched a ‘Flying Saucer’ moonphase but none as visually compelling as ‘Visions of Faust.’
In my edition (you can see the comparison as the slideshow flips back and forth) is a loose representation. If you look back to ‘The Artist with Liverano & Liverano Styling’ illustration you can see the loose painterly treatment of the cherubs. It’s a stylistic treatment I intend to maintain throughout the series when artist backdrops are present.
Unlike the painterly backdrop I want the figure to be highly rendered while still maintaining a sense of painterliness. I found myself returning back to the visage of Steven Onoja. He has become a friend over the years and has established himself as a fashion icon.
My representation is meant to age him 10 years or so. My sense of Patek Philippe, and for that matter Sciamat (the suit that he his wearing in this illustration) is an older, more refined gentleman. He’s seen a few things in life, even if he’s not yet an old man. Since Steven is still a young man I decided to add on him more rigid features.
Because Steven could wear it well, and because it is a perfect fit for Patek Philippe I dressed our figure in Sciamat.
Sciamat is an Italian suiting company founded by brothers Valentino and Nicola Ricci in 2002.
My description will be brief because my way with words is limited and The Rake has a wonderful article about the brand.
They are known for their exquisite quality and signature shoulder. In this slideshow you can clearly see the ‘roped’ shoulder, though that’s not a proper description for how it is actually constructed I find it the simplest way to communicate the expression of the shoulder. Read The Rake article linked above to learn more.
‘The Artist’
When the Patek Philippe Becomes a Magical Portrait
The Artist with Liverano & Liverano Styling
After watching a clip of Dali on 1950’s game show ‘The Name’s the Same’ I went on a bit of a Dali dive. It had been a while since seeing exhibitions of his work at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA where I truly fell in love with his genius. Just as Caravaggio had moved me as a child, Dali was inspiring me as a young college student.
I stumbled on this image of Dali during my research. It was photographed as part of a series by Dali’s friend Philippe Halsman. It happened to be one of the more linear narratives from the set.
The pose with its irreverence for the canvas - note the foot on the easel- and the slacked shoulders suggest an arrogance of talent and ability. It’s an irreverence I imagine I could have some day.
The canvas is turned away from the viewer in this photograph. Unlike my interpretation which exposes the surface of the canvas, this version of Dali doesn’t care about the result, simply the process and the experience.
What Dali is wearing I don’t know but my Artist is in a Liverano & Liverano suit.
This photo of Simon Crompton from Permanent Style does a good job of exemplifying the Liverano & Liverano details. The strong shoulder with light roping. The straight cut lapel with large roll and high button.
The details are expressed with a much different posture in The Artist painting. A rested elbow drops the shoulder and allows the jacket to slack a bit down his left side.
The stiff, outstretched right arm pulls the fabric and bunches it along the arm.
An open jacket hides the exaggerated roll and high buttons.
The Artist is not Dali and I love Italian painting thus the Italian villa setting.
Behind the model is a painting from the Basilica di Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome. On the left wall is a painting by Heinrich Füger, Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind. One the right wall is a detail of Hermes from a ceiling fresco at the Wurzburg Residence, the largest ceiling fresco in the world.
Ultimately I love the idea of an artist as a style icon. And as an artist is a master of their craft I like the idea of an artist wearing the craft of master clothiers such Liverano & Liverano.
‘The Artist’
With Liverano & Liverano suit styling