Miniature Revolutionary Flag c. 1940

John Hall’s ‘Miniature Revolutionary Flag’ is, well, a small drawing of a big idea! Look at the way Hall approaches the fabric of the flag. The weave is visible, and he's not trying to hide it! I imagine him, methodically laying down each line, building up the texture with these tiny strokes. There’s this real sense of care, you know? I feel like I can see him thinking about the weight of what this flag represents. It’s not just some symbol, it’s about a whole history, a struggle, and real people. And the colors! That muted palette, that blue and faded red, gives it this feeling of being worn, like it’s been through something. It reminds me of Jasper Johns, how he uses familiar symbols but makes them strange, makes you look at them in a new way. Painting isn’t just about representation; it's about feeling, about bringing something to life. Artists, we're all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world, one brushstroke at a time.