La Jeune Fille

As a young man, I saw this print of a jeune fille by Rolf Armstrong, and it singlehandedly inspired me to become a portrait artist. I was most intrigued by the balance of tight rendering and loose strokes, as well as the boldness of color and gaze.

Further intrigue results from the similarity to the magazine cover that was part of my first serious image collection as a boy. Yet, you can see the decided differences and why one might inspire me more than the other.