Aaron Westerberg

Influenced by the American painters John Singer Sargent and Edmund Charles Tarbell, Aaron Westerberg’s atmospheric portraits feature statuesque men and women at rest or deep in thought. Westerberg was inspired to pursue art after taking life-drawing classes, and he continues to pull from this training in his compositions. His contemporary subjects assume poses drawn from classical portraiture and are often portrayed reclining on plush couches and draped in long robes. Working primarily with oil paint, Westerberg pairs the chiaroscuro technique with a rich palette to convey atmosphere and a sense of mystery. Many of his figures are depicted from the back with their faces hidden from view, which heightens this enigmatic quality.