Empathy as Artistic Practice: A Portrait Painter's Manifesto

In a personal essay published on the Maniscalco Gallery website, portrait artist John Maniscalco argues that empathy is central to both art and democracy. He recounts his own experience of isolation after moving to Andover High School, which taught him to reach out to lonely peers. Maniscalco critiques the current far-right government for legislating a 'brand of stoicism' rooted in white privilege and antipathy toward DEI policies, claiming that conservatives lack the empathy necessary to create or appreciate great art. He describes his artistic process as 'practicing empathy' through honest, non-exaggerated realistic portraiture, aiming to celebrate humanity and see every portrait as a self-portrait. The essay includes calls to action for viewers to sense empathy in his portraits and find a portrait painter near them.