Bishop davis osb : a new portrait

Following from the previous post on this blog, I am pleased to present this digital portrait of the first Bishop of Maitland, Charles Henry Davis OSB (1815-1854).  This new image has been prepared as an official portrait for use by the Diocese of Maitland & Newcastle, and has been approved for publication by the present Bishop, Most Rev'd Michael Kennedy.

Right Reverend Charles Henry Davis OSB
1815 - 1854
First Bishop of Maitland and Coadjutor to Archbishop Polding.

 
When the subject of a portrait is long dead, with no-one living having known him and when we rely on contemporary images of him which are not themselves detailed likenesses, but somewhat basic, attempting to create a new portrait is not a straightforward matter.  

In this post, I would like to outline how this portrait was prepared, to support its claim to be an authentic likeness of the Bishop.  The previous post examines the various portraits of the Bishop in order to ascertain which of them are better likenesses than others.

The general presentation of this portrait is based on the oil-painting in the collection of Downside Abbey (Bath UK), of which Charles Davis was a monk before coming to Australia in late 1848.  The choice of the Downside portrait as a paradigm was intended to ensure some continuity between an existing portrait and a new one.  Although the Bishop’s pose is based on the Downside portrait,  the details of his face and head differ significantly.

The process used in this instance was to base the production on an existing image (the Downside portrait) and enhance (in some cases reconstruct) every aspect of that image to ensure a natural and faithful likeness.  

Artists use paint (oil, acrylic or water-based), pencils and brushes to create their works of art on canvas or paper, ceramic or a wall.  With digital art, many more tools are available as components of computer software in order to produce an electronic image.  Digital art can render portraits in a variety of styles, but the method I used was to create an image presented in the classical manner of formal portraiture.

 
I do not wish to give the impression that I believe that digital portraiture has the same degree of artistic achievement as portraits rendered by the traditional methods of painting.

 
Every aspect of this portrait of Bishop Davis received close attention, and was based on evidence in the portraits and surviving documentation : 

The Bishop’s episcopal clothing (choir dress); 

His very tall clerical collar; 

His pectoral Cross and chain; 

and his spectacles (which were small and sat on his face unevenly).  

Especial attention, nevertheless was paid to his bodily dimensions and physical features, including :

His slight proportions and sloping shoulders;  

The size of his hands;

The colour, style and gloss of his hair;

His complexion; 

The shape of his head; 

The colour and shape of his eyes; 

The shape and thickness of his eyebrows; 

The shape of his nose and ears.   

Perhaps the greatest attention, however, was paid to the shape of his mouth, which differs slightly, one from another, in the verified portraits of him.

The Bishop had a large philtrum  and Cupid’s bow  (illustrated in the adjacent diagram).  These were not unnaturally large, merely distinctive.  In seeking an authentic depiction, I studied photographs and videos of a number of men (famous and otherwise), with mouths of similar shape, to observe how they appeared when smiling and otherwise.

Anatomy of a male mouth.

 
I attempted to give the Bishop a slight smile, which would alter the way his mouth appeared from the verified portraits, where there are no smiles.

When all this work of many hours was carried out, I submitted the likeness to a number of people for their views on the result : these were historians, artists and other colleagues.  I received some constructive advice and was able to make improvements.  It is my hope that this new portrait will be accepted as a likeness worthy of its venerated subject. 

Out of respect for my efforts, I ask that this image not be reproduced without seeking prior approval. 

Michael Sternbeck

Newcastle

July 2026.

AMDG.