In this video, I reflect on a fundamental — and slippery — concept in figurative painting: likeness.

Why do we obsess over getting a painting to “look like” someone? What does it really mean for an image to feel right? And is resemblance always a kind of deception? I explore this through the ancient myth of Zeuxis and Parrhasius, the concept of mimesis, the uncanny valley, and the experience of wrestling with a portrait commission where likeness was a struggle.

See this video at: What is Likeness? Painting Mimesis and Deception