"To copy a master is to enter into dialogue with them — to understand not just what they painted, but how and why." Copying the great masters is one of the oldest and most demanding forms of artistic study. These faithful copies — after Rembrandt, Bouguereau, Sargent, Vermeer, and Velázquez — are painted by Irena Korosec as workshop demonstrations, bringing the practice directly into her teaching.
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Oil on panel. A study in Rembrandt's mastery of chiaroscuro — the deep shadows, warm impasto highlights, and penetrating psychological depth of his late self-portraiture.
Oil on panel. A focused study of Rembrandt's approach to painting the eye — showing the layering process from ground to finished surface, demonstrating how his technique builds luminosity through successive glazes.
Oil on canvas. A penetrating study of Bouguereau's self-portrait, focused on the eyes — that most revealing window of character. The original's extraordinary rendering of aged skin, tired yet alert gaze, and warm chiaroscuro are faithfully interpreted, revealing the technical mastery behind Bouguereau's legendary academic finish.
Oil on canvas. Bouguereau's exquisite académie technique — silky skin tones, delicate sfumato transitions, and idealized beauty — with the colour and contrast analysis visible in the process stage.
Oil on canvas. A study in Sargent's luminous handling of skin — warm undertones, fluid brushwork, and subtle glazing reproduced with precision.
Oil on canvas. Sargent's bravura alla prima technique — bold, confident strokes and dramatic chiaroscuro — studied and interpreted through faithful reproduction.
Oil on canvas. A study in Vermeer's extraordinary mastery of light — the soft luminosity on the figure, the subtle colour harmony of the yellow jacket, and the quiet dignity of everyday life rendered with jewel-like precision.
Oil on canvas. Velázquez painted flesh with an immediacy that no one before or since has quite equalled — a few strokes of warm ochre and cool lead white, and the face seems to breathe. This copy captures the directness of his technique: the confident, unfussy brushwork, the eloquent shadows, and the quiet psychological presence that makes every Velázquez portrait feel like an encounter with a living person.
Oil on canvas. A second study after Velázquez, exploring the drama of extreme chiaroscuro — a face emerging from near-total darkness, defined by the most economical means. The genius of Velázquez lies in what he leaves out: shadow is not painted, it is simply allowed. This copy is a lesson in restraint, in trusting the dark, and in understanding how the eye completes what the brush deliberately withholds.
