Painting was done by Louisville portrait artist Melanie Harding Bates
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 18, 2023) – The official portrait of Gov. Andy Beshear was unveiled today at the Kentucky State Capitol, where it will reside until it is transferred to the Kentucky Hall of Governors at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort at the end of the Governor’s term in office. The portrait was painted by Louisville artist Melanie Harding Bates.
The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) began collecting items of historical significance in 1878, when the society began in its current inception. In 1897, Gov. William O. Bradley, requested portraits of several previous governors for display in his office. In 1909, the director of KHS commissioned more paintings of past governors. This collection would eventually become the Kentucky Hall of Governors, and by the 1940s, governors began to make their own arrangements to have their portraits painted to add to the collection.
Melanie Harding Bates has been a commissioned portrait artist for over 30 years. Portraiture has allowed her to express the truth and beauty that she sees in each individual. Commissioned portraits require accuracy in likeness, attention to detail and good communication with one’s client, Bates says, and she thrives on the small details that take her work from good to excellent.
Bates’ process includes observation, developing a vision, sketching from life, photographing for details, color studies and a presentation of sketch proposals. Archival substrates, supplies and knowledge of technique are of great importance. Bates works in three different mediums: She enjoys the elegance and simplicity of graphite, the directness and softness of pastels and the richness in the values and colors of oil paints.
The artist remembers the desire to draw people from the young age of 4, and that desire and passion to draw eventually led her to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Western Kentucky University. Much of Bates’ knowledge has come from researching, studying the old masters’ paintings, participating in workshops and working from live models. Recently, she was thrilled to spend over 40 hours observing paintings of the French academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
Bates is a member of several artists’ organizations, including the Portrait Society of America, Masterpiece Christian Fine Art and Louisville Visual Art. Recently, she was named the Kentucky State Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America. She looks forward to bringing more awareness to portrait and figurative art, as well as inspiring other artists to improve their methods and techniques. Most of Bates’ works are in private collections, and her artwork has been included in several shows, most recently the inaugural exhibit of the Team Kentucky Gallery in the State Capitol.
Bates said she is honored to have been chosen to paint the official portrait of Gov. Beshear. Painting a Kentucky Governor has been a dream of hers for as long as she can remember. The artist’s mother, Lynn Hulette Harding, was a page in the Kentucky Senate in 1948, and her grandmother worked in the State Capitol for over 25 years. Her father’s family, from Henderson, Kentucky, had a love for art and beauty. It only seemed natural to aspire to painting a Kentucky Governor portrait. Bates says she has gained great respect for both the Governor and First Lady Britainy Beshear while working with them on this portrait.
Bates happily resides in her hometown of Louisville with her husband of 40 years. She is the proud mother of two daughters and has one son-in-law.
Click here for a high-resolution image of the Governor’s portrait. For a photo of artist Melanie Harding Bates, click here. The portrait was paid for with private funds.
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