Anthropology with a Paintbrush: Naturalist–Realist Painting as “Thick Description”

This article introduces the art of naturalist–realist portrait painting as a method and medium of visual anthropology. It makes the case for this art form as an integral part of both ethnography and anthropology. Like ethnography, naturalist–realist portrait painting seeks to apprehend the world in a way that goes beyond superficial observation. Both disciplines have in common an empathetic and sensitive process of long-term observation and contextual interaction—a process in which the artist–anthropologist must navigate the tension between objectivity and subjectivity. The article introduces the various techniques used by naturalist–realist painters, including the sight-size method, arguing that these techniques often parallel those of ethnography and have the potential to add further value not only to the ethnographic research process but also to analysis. In particular, since ethnography is today considered a collaborative process, the close interaction between painter and model in naturalist–realist portrait painting can be considered as a means by which anthropologists can create “thick descriptions.”