The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Chief Justice, New York Court of Appeals, Albany, New York 2017

Daniel Greene painted this portrait of The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Chief Justice in oils, somewhere in Albany, New York. The color palette is very considered and precise, this feels like someone really thinking about the process of image making, a real exercise in observation. There's a very soft, almost hazy atmosphere created through delicate layers of thin paint. Look at how the details in the background are suggested rather than described, this is a real skill. The folds in his robes are really well observed and described in a very subtle way, the light seems to catch the surface in such a way as to make the sitter look very present, and very human, despite the formality of the setting. The hands are great too, that soft focus around the chair, so nicely done. It's easy to see echoes of artists like Sargent and Whistler in Greene’s work, but he brings a certain warmth and sensitivity all of his own. Ultimately, there’s something wonderfully ambiguous about this portrait. It’s a celebration of someone’s role and achievements, but it also feels like a quiet moment of reflection.