Daniel Gerhartz practices a form of Realism that traces its origins to the great figurative and portrait painters of the late 19th century. Classically trained at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Gerhartz possesses effortless technical facility for painting and a deep, abiding kinship to traditional artists such as John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla, John Waterhouse and Alphonse Mucha, along with many others. These artists provided inspiration for Gerhartz in their understanding of the human form, use of brilliant color, vigorous brushwork and light as both illumination and emotional element.
Gerhartz’s subjects hover between traditional figurative painting, landscape painting and portraiture; he often depicts an interrupted moment, as if the sitter has just realized the artist’s presence. In the majority of his paintings, he relies on local family and friends as models, with these paintings not being portraits per se, but rather vignettes, archetypes of maternal love, childhood simplicity, or grandfatherly affection; they often evoke an earlier and more humble way of life.
About his work, Gerhartz states, “Often, I try to keep the themes universal and nondescript, allowing the viewers to bring their own life experience or narrative into the piece.” Gerhartz equates it to the way he feels when he listens to a great piece of music. The beauty, he says, is not just in the music, but in what it points you to. “It sends you to a place within,” he says. “I can’t really put words to it, but it’s a sacred place. That’s where I want my viewers to go — and so I try not to get in the way of that.”
For Gerhartz, despite the currency of Conceptual or Postmodern styles, traditional beauty is still a worthwhile aspiration. His work has won numerous awards throughout the span of his 35-year career and is in art collections worldwide.
