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Portraits are paintings that look back. We know that the sitter doesn't actually see us, but part of us — the part that secretly believes in ghosts — suspects that there's an essence in the frame that is oriented outward. As anybody who has ever ventured into a family picture gallery could tell you, that can be uncomfortable. Art appreciators will sometimes say that the eyes of great portraits follow viewers around the room. They're less upfront about whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. Do they chase you like the admiring glances of a lover, or do they stick with you like a guilty conscience?
