Commissioning a portrait is no longer just a whim of the bourgeoisie, at least in Madrid. A group of artists meets every week in the capital to draw -completely free of charge- volunteers who offer to pose.
The painters of Retratista Nómada improvise new works every Sunday in a different part of the city. Although their meeting place varies each week, the group’s schedule is always the same: they work from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Their activity has attracted the attention of cultural institutions such as the National Archaeological Museum, which invited the portraitists to draw the visitors passing by the building. The Palacio de Cibeles has also welcomed the painters, highlighting the democratization of portraiture in the city.
To join the group as an artist you have to join their Facebook page, which is open to the public in order to encourage more people to participate. Models should also contact the portrait artists through this channel and make their requests free of charge.
Whether it’s hot or cold, Portratista Nómada organizes new gatherings to go to with a brush in hand. The next one will be on Sunday, December 29 (location to be confirmed a few days before the event), in case anyone out there wants to take a portrait home during the Christmas holidays.