"Why Invest in a Portrait?"

In today’s world of readily available and affordable photography, people often ask, "why would I want to spend so much to have a portrait painted?". For several generations, southerners have known what west- coasters are just discovering - that a painting is a treasured possession that has a life of it’s own.
A painted portrait is not just a collection of data burned onto some film, it is an interpretation of one’s very being, filtered through the eyes and skills of an artist who takes the time to study and deeply observe the subject. A painted portrait affirms the precious value that the sitter has in this world. It says, "you are of incredible worth, you mattered, you made a difference in this world just by being". It reminds one of their eternalness, as humans bear the unmistakable image of their Creator.
A painted portrait affirms the sitter, as it says to all who view it,"this person I cherished". It confirms the benefactor's desire to never let the sitter's influence be erased from tide of his personal history.
A painted portrait only increases in value, unlike a car or other material object which rusts away and depreciates, because not only does it capture a moment in time, it cheats time’s ability to steal away our memories. And we are left with an image which changes daily, almost having a living, breathing quality as it lives in the room in which it is hung, changing by the moment as the light plays across the artist's brushstrokes at different times of the day. We are intrigued by what the artist saw as he studied his subject and sought to interpret his observations. Did he reveal something the sitter thought carefully hidden? Did he bring to light a strength of character the sitter was too modest to boast of? Did he in some way capture a bit of his sitter's soul on canvas?
To live with art is to be changed. It is unpredictable, often surprising, and it stirs our imaginations, lifting them above the realm of ordinary interpretation. A painted portrait is a small price to pay for a place in history.

Jennifer Welty

-------
Photography is quick, convenient and all but yeah, I'll be more likely to toss a photo rather than a portrait painting when I have to clean up my closet or something.