Fine Art Portrait Paintings by
Portrait Artist Marvin Mattelson
Marvin Mattelson creates custom commissioned oil portraits that combine classical craftsmanship with a contemporary sensitivity to character, expression, color, and design.
Custom Oil Portrait Paintings
Marvin Mattelson creates commissioned oil portraits that combine classical craftsmanship with a contemporary sensitivity to character, expression, color, and design.A successful portrait is more than an accurate likeness. It depends on the quiet relationships between light, pose, gesture, expression, color, and composition. When those elements are handled with care, a painted portrait can feel both intimate and enduring — a work of art that reveals the presence of the person rather than merely recording their appearance. Marvin’s portraits are created for families, institutions, executives, professionals, and private collectors who want something more permanent, personal, and meaningful than a photographic record.
A portrait is an heirloom to be cherished for generations.
A portrait is an heirloom to be cherished for generations. Choosing a portrait artist is not simply a matter of finding someone who can reproduce a likeness. The artist you choose determines the character, dignity, beauty, and emotional presence of the final painting. A well-made oil portrait has a different kind of permanence. It becomes part of a family’s visual history, carrying something of the subject forward long after the original moment has passed. For that reason, every decision — from the first conversation to the final adjustment of color and expression — matters.
The artist you choose will determine far more than the accuracy of the likeness. It will shape the character, dignity, beauty, and lasting presence of the portrait itself.
First and foremost, a portrait should be a beautiful work of art.
A successful portrait must, of course, capture a convincing likeness. But likeness alone is not enough. The painting must also succeed as a unified visual statement, with strong design, beautiful color, sensitive drawing, and a sense of life that goes beyond simple description.
Marvin Mattelson approaches each portrait with that larger goal in mind. The subject must be recognizable, but the painting also needs to stand on its own as a work of fine art — something visually compelling, carefully composed, and worthy of being lived with for generations.
A portrait is an heirloom to be cherished for generations.
A well-made oil portrait becomes part of a family’s visual history, carrying something of the subject forward long after the original moment has passed. It preserves not only the appearance of the person, but something of their temperament, their vitality, and their place in the lives of those who love them.
For that reason, every decision matters: the lighting, the pose, the expression, the color, the composition, and the final refinement of the painting. Each choice contributes to whether the portrait feels merely accurate, or whether it carries the deeper sense of presence that allows it to endure.
The artist you choose will determine far more than the accuracy of the likeness. It will shape the character, dignity, beauty, and lasting presence of the portrait itself.
The Commission Process
Every portrait begins with a conversation about what the painting should convey and the impression the finished portrait should leave.
Lighting, pose, expression, background, color, and reference quality all play an essential role in the final result.
The approach depends on the subject, the purpose of the painting, and the needs of the client. Some commissions are created from treasured family photographs, especially posthumous portraits or paintings meant to preserve a meaningful image of someone deeply loved. In those cases, Marvin can help evaluate the available references and determine which image will provide the strongest foundation for the painting.
The approach depends on the subject, the purpose of the painting, and the needs of the client. Some commissions are created from treasured family photographs, especially posthumous portraits or paintings meant to preserve a meaningful image of someone deeply loved. In those cases, Marvin can help evaluate the available references and determine which image will provide the strongest foundation for the painting.
One day my family's portrait will be hanging in the Mattelson Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
You have created the most flattering image of me...ever!
Chairman - Velcro Industries
I've never seen another painting, whether in a gallery or in a museum, that can rival the beauty of my Mom's portrait. When people see it they are bedazzled!
