Where 17th-Century Techniques Meet 21st-Century Anxiety

Gretchen Andrew’s Facetune Portraits merges classical oil painting with the anxieties of digital self-presentation.

Where 17th-Century Techniques Meet 21st-Century Anxiety?

In the 17th century, oil painting was the premier medium for capturing human presence, individuality, and status. Portraits were records of identity—unique, personal, and deeply tied to the sitter’s place in history.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and portraiture has shifted. We no longer rely on oil paint to preserve our likeness; instead, we rely on algorithms and filters. Social media has made our self-image immediate, editable, and endlessly comparable. But in this shift, something vital has been lost.

Facetune Portraits is where these two worlds collide. By using traditional oil painting techniques to reimagine digitally altered images, I highlight the dissonance between the permanence of paint and the fleeting nature of online perfection. My studio becomes a space where history and modernity meet—a place where classical artistry confronts the anxiety of living in a filtered, algorithm-driven world.

The result is both beautiful and unsettling. Each brushstroke restores individuality erased by filters, reminding us that imperfections are not flaws but evidence of our humanity.