A Portrait of a Judge:
Painting the Honorable Theresa Whelan
“Today was a pretty moving day. I had the honor of painting a portrait of a Judge, Honorable Theresa Whelan. I never had the chance to meet Theresa- sadly, she passed away from cancer before we met. A few months ago, her husband, Justice Tom F Whelan of the New York Supreme Court, met up with me on behalf of the New York judicial system, to commission me to paint his wife’s portrait.
Justice Tom clearly loved and admired his wife with his whole heart. Their grown children also came to my studio, and I learned from all of them how wonderful a woman Judge Theresa Whelan was, and what a positive impact she had on so many lives. Today, judges, politicians from both sides of the aisle, executives, lawyers, friends and family all gathered together in the Suffolk Surrogate Court, and they shared touching stories of the effective and tireless work of Honorable Theresa Whelan in her many years in Family Court, and the Surrogate.
I was asked to speak last before the unveiling, and I shared about the act of painting a portrait. For me, the person being depicted is, themself, the true work of art, and the portrait that comes from my hands can hopefully capture something of the eternal worth, the beauty of the human spirit. Never was this admiration of the nobility of the human spirit more true than in the case of painting Honorable Theresa Whelan.
The portrait will be installed permanently in the court room. I’m very grateful.”
-Kevin McEvoy
Judicial Portraiture in Court
Over the past century, our society has mastered the utilization of photographs for everything and in every capacity: from the drivers license we cosy away in our pocket to the family pictures that litter that one cluttered wall of your kitchen. However, it has been a continuing tradition to celebrate a judge’s career by commissioning a portrait. However, why do our legal systems continue to use a system that most Americans believe is outmoded? Why do we still paint portraits of our Judges?
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Why Do Courts Commission Traditional Oil Portraits?
One of the beautiful things about a courtroom in America is that it remains this melding between classical ideals and conflicts of the present. Concerning portraiture many courts have retained the practice of capturing their judges with the elegance and preciseness provided by traditional art. Creating an artifact with longevity comparable to that of the courtroom itself.
Nothing compares to having an introspective young person enter into the courtroom and ask “Who was that man, and how did he battle the world within this room, within that chair?”
Kevin McEvoy is a classical artist who specializes in portraiture
He has been in the field for 23 years and traditionally oil paints for a career
What Should One Look for in a Portrait of a Judge?
An Artist Experienced in Portrait Painting
Judges portraits are one of the most notoriously difficult types of portraits to paint. It must walk a fine line between the dead mask of professionalism and the flirtatious disaster of gaiety. Both extremes are equally bad, and it takes an artist with a long history of portraiture to be able to pull it off.
Consider a Light Background
Another aspect to consider is the color of the background, which controls the mood of the whole painting. Most artists want, and will try to paint a judge on a black background, because it genuinely produces stunning paintings. However, because of the aesthetic drama of rich black backgrounds, it can make the portrait a bit too serious. So it’s not bad to explore the opportunity of a lighter background when considering a portrait.
Note the light background, which adds to the exuberance of the painting.
Commissioning a Portrait of a Judge
The first step towards creating a portrait of a judge is to commission it. Simply email the artist and explain what you are looking for. Review the general sizes and prices of the artist’s portraiture. The artist then invites the interested buyers to his studio to discuss specifics on the creation of this new painting. Kevin speaks directly with the sitter, or the sitters family, to get a good sense of the character of his subject and then process of the painting creation begins.
The McEvoy Painting Studio at Presbyterian Church of Islip
Sitting for a Portrait of a Judge
Most artists are divided on the issue of how long a model needs to sit for a good painting. Some artists will simply set the sitter up in the chair, take a few pictures, and call them when the painting is ready. However, the classically trained artists generally want you at their studio modeling in person, (although they paint from photographs too if necessary.) Two, or three sittings in the artists studio usually are sufficient for capturing the sitter’s spirit. This way they combine painting from life and also utilizing the convenience of photography.
When working on Theresa’s painting, Kevin McEvoy was only given a head-and-shoulders photo.
He is seen here asking his wife, Margaret McEvoy, to model Teresa’s hands placed on her law book
Why Artists Don’t like Painting from Photographs
Certain artists refrain from painting from photographs because they prefer to understand who their sitter is over a larger period of time. One of the immutable facts in painting and photography that artists can struggle with is that most people have a stiff, inorganic face they use to pose for pictures. However, because it’s awkward and a bit hard to keep up, the sitter usually drops their ‘modeling face’ after a half hour, surrendering to the artist their natural character –which makes for very good paintings.
Here you can see Kevin McEvoy painting assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick.
If you look closely at Assemblyman Fitzpatrick, you can see that Kevin managed to coax him into a rolling laugh
The Unveiling of the Portrait of a Judge
The Event
When the painting is finished, the McEvoy studio assists in getting the portrait framed and prepared for exhibition. The next thing to prepare is the unveiling. The Judicial Portrait unveiling of the Honorable Theresa Whelan was well attended. They actually couldn’t fit all the guests in attendance. There was phenomenal music provided by cellist James Accompora, as well as some very talented musicians that worked in the court system daily along with Judge Whelan.
Remembering Theresa
The artist Kevin McEvoy said of the event that there were “judges, politicians from both sides of the aisle, lawyers, various members of the judicial community, friends and family to witness the unveiling of the portrait. All came to share and listen to touching stories of the effective and tireless work of Honorable Theresa Whelan in her many years in Family Court, and the Surrogate Court.” Hundreds arrived to share their passion for Theresa as she had recently passed two years before. And for as long as that court building stands, people will keep looking up at that painting, keep remembering Theresa Whelan, and keep asking “What did she do to hold this country together?”
The court unveiled the portrait of Honorable Theresa Whelan on April 4, 2024
An audible gasp filled the room as the portrait was unveiled.
