The juxtaposition of physical differences between the May/December pair is striking and the image provocative. The look of Dora, in particular, caught my eye, and apparently caught the eye of Sander, since he also photographed her posing without her husband.
I thought I might try to capture her likeness by painting from this photo reference, something I hesitate to do, since I prefer to work from life whenever possible. I find the information I need as a painter is often lacking in photo references, no matter how large or clear they are. In some cases, however, I have no choice, as in this one. So I began:
First, I simplify the image and crop out Hans in Photoshop.
Transfer a simplified outline to unstretched linen and reinforce in graphite pencil.
Setup with computer and painting
Block in darks and halftones
Complete the face. I decide to put her in a fencing jacket.
Set up jacket on a mannequin.
Paint the jacket.
Transfer her name (Dora Delfs—I used her maiden name, found on German Wikipedia). I did this because it turns out Luttgen divorced her before his move to New York City.
Final painting.
Painting in Frame.
