The Embrace 1975

Charles Blackman made this painting, The Embrace, using oil paint and a whole load of feeling. You can tell he’s not too concerned with getting things exactly right; instead, it’s all about that emotion, that connection between these two people. See how the paint is applied, thick in some places, creating a textured surface, especially in the swirling background? That reminds me of Van Gogh, except where Van Gogh is expressing turmoil, Blackman is really more internal, introspective. The blues and reds, they’re not mixed to be realistic, but to convey a mood. Check out the hands. They’re almost ghost-like, pale against the darker clothing, like they’re barely there, a fleeting touch. It's a bit rough, but tender in its own way. Blackman’s work often deals with this kind of quiet intensity, a focus on the internal worlds of his subjects, maybe like Paula Rego, who also had her own distinctive approach to figurative painting. In the end, we can never be sure what exactly Blackman was thinking, and that’s the beauty of it.