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Amazing Hyperrealistic Portraits Capture the Fine Details of Complex Emotions

By Sara Barnes on August 23, 2022

Artist Philipp Weber’s portraits will make you do a double take. His hyperrealistic works are so life-like that, at times, it’s impossible to tell whether they are a painting or a photograph. But Weber’s amazing portraiture is all done by hand using oil paint and tiny brushes. Every detail is accounted for, from glistening water beads to the fiber fuzz on a cape. Each element, while minuscule, adds to the cinematic look of the paintings; they often employ characters in costume in the midst of tender or contemplative moments.

Weber’s technique is immediately awe-inspiring, but his intention is for us to look beyond hyperrealism and consider the content of the paintings. “The large-format paintings make use of the aesthetics of glossy magazines, but their meaning lies in what is not staged,” he shares. “It is the view beneath the brilliant surface under which the range of human emotions and inner truths emerge: life and death, wishes and fears, loyalty and betrayal.” For Weber, the excess of detail is also an opportunity to “maximize feeling” in each piece.

Take a look at Weber’s hyperrealistic paintings below. Then, be sure to follow him on Instagram to see what he’s creating next.