Paris Street Scene 1964

This painting, “Paris Street Scene” by LeRoy Neiman, pulses with quick strokes of blues, greens, and reds, like a fleeting moment captured in paint. It's as if Neiman was wrestling with the image, smearing and swiping, trying to pin down the essence of Paris itself. I can imagine him, standing there, brush in hand, the city buzzing around him. What does Paris feel like? It's not just what you see, but the sounds, the smells, the energy. He’s got these blocks of color, almost like flags, that break up the space. Check out the tree on the right, rendered with such loose, gestural marks that it’s more about the feeling of a tree than a perfect representation. Neiman, like all of us painters, is in conversation with those who came before, Cezanne, Monet, each grappling with how to capture the world on canvas. Painting is so cool because it’s not just about making a picture, it's about thinking, feeling, and figuring things out right there on the canvas. The painting remains a raw, alive, and unresolved encounter.