The most recent Richard Armitage portraits by Robert Ascroft and other photographers as shared by www.RichardArmitageNet.com are breathtakingly stunning! And I have been intending to share some of my favorites here on my blog.
The camera lens is the gateway through which we tend to view British actor Richard Armitage ’s filmic storytelling, as well, as his portraits. And I am particularly struck by RA’s ability to seemingly look straight at me–us, fangirls, fans–with his gaze in these portraits. I ponder the exchange that takes place between Richard Armitage and “us” within the construct of his portraiture images.
Richard Armitage’s electric gaze is direct and unwavering in many of his portraits–which I interpret with different portraits as him being mysterious, daring, seductive, smouldering, guileless, melancholy, whimsical, bashful, contented, vulnerable, confident, joyful, shy, enigmatic, strong, and always charming.
Mysterious (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-18.jpg
Daring (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-23.jpg
Seductive (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-12.jpg
Smouldering (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-02.jpg
Guileless (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-14.jpg
Melancholy (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-06.jpg
Whimiscal (below)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-19.jpg
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-13.jpg
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-10.jpg
Bashful (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-01.jpg
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-20.jpg
Contented (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-22.jpg
Vulnerable (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/Movieweek-cropped.jpg
Confident (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-17.jpg
Joyful (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-16.jpg
Shy (right) 
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-11.jpg
Enigmatic (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-02.jpg
Strong (right)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-24.jpg
Charming (left)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/2012Promo/album/RobertAscroft-21.png
But, of course, these are my meanings that I impose upon my interpretation of these Richard Armitage portraits. And I see what I want to see–a gentlemanly, kind, dignified man, … who happens to be drop dead gorgeous. Ha!
And yet, when I see Richard Armitage portraits, I also wonder what is he thinking as he gazes into the camera? What is he trying to convey? Richard Armitage is so consistent with his direct gaze in some portraits that I also wonder if he is challenging us to look deeper–to see the real him. Or maybe, Richard Armitage just likes posing–him knowing that he is conjuring a thousand and one fantasies as he sets women’s hearts a flutter. Ha! So, is Richard Armitage’s portraiture a playful way of him teasingly giving us a peek, but no more as a measure of him controlling and managing his image? If so, it is part of his mystery and allure.
For every Richard Armitage portrait created, he was photographed to be viewed by us–he intentionally had himself photographed to be viewed by us. See me. So, am I and all of us Alice peering through the looking glass to see Richard Armitage? Or, is it the other way around?
But whatever he intends to convey with his portraits and gazes, I want to see Richard Armitage portraits–and to experience his storytelling film portrayals–again, and again, and again, and again.
P.S. Would Richard Armitage be amused by how eagerly we await his portraits and then devour them whole? All I can say is (my graphic using an RANet image as referenced above):
Nota Bene: The “through the looking glass” reference in my blog title refers to the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, 1865. For more information about the book and the story, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland; and for some amusing quotes visit http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2933712-alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland
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May 25, 2013–Two more Richard Armitage Portraits by Robert Ascroft have surfaced on RANet.
I put the first portrait image at the top of my sidebar with a link to the whole gallery:
Here also is the link to the second portrait image:
Richard Armitage doesn’t even have “to try” to be sexy. He just is. Sighhh!
Now we just need to see Richard Armitage in a nice little romantic film where he meets a nice girl who loves him the way that we want an RA character to be loved–wholly and without abandon, for him as a good person. Then they can get started on making those babies. We know RA can handle a machine gun, various swords, and such. But how will he do with a squirming baby on his hands? Richard Armitage in character and changing diapers? Priceless! Ha!
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June 01, 2013–The Richard Armitage portraits by Robert Ascroft just keep coming! Sighhh!
Michaela Servetus has a lovely open letter to RA regarding the latest RA portrait on RANet:
And here is the RANet image link:
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June 01, 2013–And here is the RANet link to the other new Richard Armitage portrait by Ascroft. RA has the sunniest smile that it is sure to brighten anyone’s day:
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