Sleeping Beauties

What Medium Would the Old Masters Prefer in the Present Day? explores the relationship between classical painting and contemporary image-making. Inspired by an old painting attributed to Jacob Adriaensz Backer, a student of Rembrandt, the work reflects on the possibility that the observing figure within the composition portrays Rembrandt himself.
The original painting remained in my family for decades, alongside an old black-and-white photograph. Digitally restoring the photograph inspired the concept behind this piece: imagining how the Old Masters might approach artistic creation in the modern age.
The work merges elements of the original painting with photography and digital brushwork inspired by classical painting. At its centre, the observing figure appears caught in contemplation between mediums, while the left side introduces photographic self-portraits woven into the classical composition.