The Tribute Money 2011

Alexander Roitburd painted The Tribute Money using oils in a way that feels both classical and totally now. I’m drawn to the surface, the way the paint is built up in layers, especially in the draped fabric. You can almost feel the weight of it, a heavy cloak rendered in creamy whites and browns. Then, there’s this shock of bright, almost cartoonish red cords looping all around the figure. They feel so modern, so graphic against the traditional rendering of the figure and the darkness of the background. It’s like he's challenging our sense of depth, pushing and pulling us between different ways of seeing. That dark background— it’s not just space, but a mood, a kind of contemplation. It reminds me of Caravaggio, that dramatic use of light and shadow, but Roitburd twists it, throws in these unexpected elements that make you question everything. It’s a conversation, a back-and-forth between art history and something entirely new.