The Modern Portrait.
On my many trips to Paris, home of the Mona Lisa, I have found it intriguing to discover that the French are disinclined to consider modern portraiture. Paintings of their homes and beloved pets, certainly, but a painting of themselves, "Non"! They will happily acquire many other genres too, but mention the possibility of a portrait and even the most self assured become coy and self conscious. Is it because the French associate portraiture with the most famous portrait in the
