Copying Masters

Peter Paul Rubens, "Battle of Anghiari, after daVinci," 1603

From the time humans have made artworks they've copied others. Apprentices in ateliers of the past always copied work of their masters or masters of previous eras. Rubens copied da Vinci, Degas copied Holbein, and van Gogh copied Millet, and so it goes into our own time. Some worry about copyright and all that when copying artwork. Some think they could even be accused of forgery. But copying for practice or to improve skills or dissect the technique (among other purposes) is an excellent way to study.

Copying others is not a legal problem at all provided that 1) you label it as a copy or clearly state that it is a work "after so and so," rather than your own original work (that's fraud) or 2)you don't claim it is an original, by the other artist (forgery).

Hoff, "Fold Study, Seated Figure, after daVinci" charcoal 2016

My own copying over the years has been worthwhile, and I've used any number of previous artists for role models, from daVinci to Lucian Freud. Seeking to learn I began by copying Velasquez, and Goya (two favorites) before branching out to other "old masters" like Durer and then into other representational work. I've made copies of drawings and paintings both.

Part of the goal in copying, for me anyway, has been to learn how the artist made the image--what movements, what materials, how applied, and so on. On the other hand, sometimes it's the materials themselves that prompt a copy--I often copy graphite and charcoal drawings in metalpoint these days, striving to understand the light touch required.

Hoff, "Hand Study after daVinci," digital 2019

Emulating the master's work aids enormously in understanding. Of course, sometimes real world work can be emulated digitally, when the main interest is composition, or construction of the image, or the like--that is, materials are of less interest. Pressure-sensitive computer tablets are most useful in that context. In copying the drawing of  a hand (left) by daVinci, I wanted to see how to be as feather-light as possible with the digital stylus, which provides a wide range of line weight and darkness depending on how much one presses. The idea was in part learning the limitations of the equipment and in part trying to teach my hands.

Hoff, "Jane Morris, after Rosetti," silverpoint on paper 2020

Metalpoint is a good way to do a similar kind of line work when copying. While many of my metalpoints are originals, I've also copied a few drawings from masters of the past. For example, the study of a female head to the right is a copy of a drawing by the Pre-Raphaelite painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti of Jane Morris, the woman who served as his muse and model. Ms. Morris modeled for Rossetti and in turn became famous in her own right. She was the model for Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion," the famous drama by George Bernard Shaw, for example. Her Roman nose, thick mane of red-auburn hair and air of royal detachment have continued her fame. The original is darker than this copy.

For me, copying provides a lot of positives--simple practice, investigation of materials, study of master artists' methods, the (presumptive) thought processes involved, and so on. I don't sell copies, though sometimes a piece inspired by a master but not a strict copy is fair game for sale, with proper attribution.