In today’s world of Modern Art, Barbara Hamilton stands out because of her unmistakable classical style. The artist is fascinated by the mystery of the individual subject and concentrates al her attention on the way the person looks to her. The eyes of her subjects, at times dominated by the arch of an eyebrow, at other times relaxed or entangled, and held together by small, endless lines of expression, emit the essence of her subject and his or her uniqueness. The beauty and refinement and mastery of Barbara Hamilton’s craft in her portraits all move me.
The portraits created with the sweet smile and profound gaze of Polish-born Barbara Hamilton have no need of time to resemble their subjects. In a flash Barbara captures the person’s features, character and personality. Barbara has a magical eye, exceptional perceptiveness, and her own inimitable style.
Barbara Kaczmarowska Hamilton is well within the swagger tradition of portraiture, her panache and bravura conjuring recolections of de Laszlo and Kennington. She has tender insights too, perceptive probing masked by informality.
The sitter is immediately recognizable, and yet the artist’s style is quite unmistakable. It is a rare and satisfying combination. We must be grateful that, after a successful career as an abstract and semi-surrealist artist, following a full academic training in Poland, she turned her gifts to portraiture.
I have admired Basia’s work for many years. I am thrilled to have Alexander and Sophie’s portraits hanging in pride of place in my sitting room. As always she has captured the essence of her subjects. As well as being excellent likenesses, the portraits show the nascent strength of the children’s characters together with innocence of their youth.