About the Artist

Leonard Porter was born in 1963 and was raised in the Pacific Northwest. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1986 and a Master of Fine Arts from The School of Visual Arts in 1989. In 1991, Porter rejected his orthodox modernist background and began exploring classicism. His paintings of antiquity and classical mythology have been exhibited in museums and galleries in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania, and have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Art & Antiques Magazine. Porter has lectured at the Dahesh Museum of Art and at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America, where he is a Fellow, instructor and board member.
http://www.leonardporter.com

Dido of Carthage, 2001,
16"x 18"
oil on canvas

This painting depicts Dido, the queen of Carthage, on the eve of the departure of her lover, Aeneas, after which she will commit suicide. She is portrayed in an almost numismatic profile, poised between the land and sea, life and death, happiness and sorrow. The city at the left attests to her own generative powers but she faces the sea which is as implacable as her fate.

Christ Enthroned Revealing His Sacred Heart
Color Study, 2003
11"x 31"
oil on canvas.

This 1/8th scale color study was executed in preparation for a 21 foot mural for the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The mural was commissioned as part of an ongoing renovation by the Washington architecture firm, Franck, Lohsen and McCrery. The mural will combine images of 18 different Saints with Angels, Archangels and allegorical figures to celebrate the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the painting, the path of the faithful is mirrored, from the trials and suffering of this world, through death and salvation, to an infinite and mystical communion with God.

Tai-Yu Burying the Flower Petals, 2002
20"x 30"
oil on canvas

In his Metamorphoses, Ovid recounts the Persian tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. Based on this precedent, it seems possible to adapt this Chinese story for inclusion in the classical lexicon. This painting depicts the memorable scene from the famous Chinese novel, The Dream of the Red Chamber, in which the heroine, Black Jade (Tai-Yu) is burying the fallen flower petals lamenting the fragility and brevity of life and beauty.

A Betrothal Portrait of Thetis for Peleus, 2003
16"x 12"
oil on canvas

Zeus and Poseidon were both enamored with the lovely Nereid, Thetis, but when it was prophesized that her son would be mightier than his father, they decided to marry her off to the mortal, Peleus. This picture is a betrothal portrait for Peleus promising him the sea-goddess for a wife. It is inscribed “ I belong to Peleus.” However claiming his bride was no easy task. With the help of the centaur Chiron, Peleus finally surprised the Nereid sleeping in a cave. He held fast as she transformed into various creatures attempting to escape. At last Thetis was won over by Peleus’ determination. The Gods rewarded him further with a splendid suit of armor which their son Achilles used in the Trojan War.