

Our Why

"My only family portrait" - Steven Somfalvi, partner at Artage.
"That small print, taped inside an old knickknack box, is the only family portrait I have. My parents were small business owners - they worked hard and they worked all the time, we rarely had a vacation and we never had time for a family portrait. This was a snapshot at my 16th birthday and shortly after my parents separated and ultimately divorced. That I'm blinking in the photo has never bothered me - I am so thankful for having this. My parents remained friends and as a favour to me, we did a portrait with my wife, children and them. It's a majestic 40" painting, strategically placed in our dining room facing my usual seat. I "visit" this portrait daily, lost in the eyes of familiar faces, reflecting and reliving, and for a moment everything becomes still. That's the real beauty of what we do and why its so incredibly important."

Want to know why we don't ask for big smiles in the portraits?
Painted portraits are the new selfie by Bloomberg News


The final result of the portrait painting is a family heirloom to be passed on to generations. We will always be thankful for such a unique portrait.
- Peter & Helene Pretty
