Pennsylvania artist working on former Gov. Charlie Baker’s portrait that will hang in State House

A Pennsylvania-based artist is working on a portrait of former Gov. Charlie Baker, a work that will presumably hang in the State House alongside the likenesses of the governors who served before the Swampscott Republican.

Ellen Cooper, an award-winning portrait artist with a portfolio that includes paintings of dozens of academic, medical and judicial officials, lists “Charles Baker, Governor Massachusetts (in progress)” on the collections page of her website. A spokesman for Baker did not respond Wednesday to a News Service inquiry about the portrait.

“Her dedication to perfecting her art stems from a passionate love for painting and commitment to the tradition of portraiture. With boundless energy and poise she meticulously approaches each subject with a well-honed eye and flawless draftsmanship,” the biography on Cooper’s website says. “But it is her understanding of paint, color, form, and light, coupled with her ability to visualize people’s character, that gives her work a sense of being more than just accurate renditions; her paintings seem to reflect a living truth about each subject.”

Word that Cooper was the one working on Baker’s portrait first emerged in January, when MassterList reported that Baker’s campaign account made a $1,534.49 payment to Ellen Cooper Portraits, LLC, on Dec. 29, 2022.

Earlier that week, Baker declined to share the name of the artist working on his portrait during an exit interview with the News Service.

“I sat for it,” Baker said of his portrait in the late December interview. “I don’t know when it will be finished, I really don’t. I think it’s going to be a while.”

Campaign finance filings show that Baker’s campaign made an initial $6,000 payment for “deposit for portrait” to Cooper on Aug. 25, 2022, the $1,534 “portrait painting” payment in December, and another $6,000 payment to Cooper for “photography services” on March 21, 2023. In total, Baker’s campaign has paid Cooper $13,534.49.

Cooper’s website says the artist’s portrait fees start at $12,000. The last two gubernatorial portraits unveiled at the State House cost considerably more -- Gov. Mitt Romney’s portrait by Richard Whitney cost $30,000, according to the Boston Herald, and the portrait of Gov. Deval Patrick by Simmie Knox carried a $45,000 price tag, the News Service reported in 2015.

Others to have portraits painted by Cooper include former speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Samuel Smith, Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Laurance VanMeter, Colgate University President Jeffrey Herbst, Transylvania University President John Williams, Skidmore College President Phillip Glotzbach, Pennsylvania Hospital rheumatology section chief Dr. Barry Schimmer, and American College of Physicians CEO Dr. Alan Nelson.

On her website, Cooper explains the process she uses with portraiture clients. The initial meeting includes “a discussion of the overall feeling of the portrait, how best to convey the subject and their personality, and considerations of setting, size, lighting, and clothing choices.” The artist then sketches the subject and takes reference photos during a sitting of two to four hours, she said.

Shortly after the sitting, Cooper works up a small preliminary paint sketch to be used as the reference for the composition, lighting, coloration and atmosphere of the final painting. That reference painting is shared with the subject for their approval. From there, Cooper works on the final portrait in her southeastern Pennsylvania studio, working from her reference photos and live sittings when possible.

After the portrait is complete but before it is shipped, Cooper will send the subject a photo of the finished work for final approval. The artist said she “guarantees a recognizable likeness of the subject.”

Cooper’s portrait of Baker is expected to eventually join those of the governors who preceded him on the walls of the lobby to the executive suite at the State House. For other governors, the portrait unveiling event has served as an administrative reunion of sorts, though Patrick’s portrait was unveiled during his final days in office.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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