Studio Interior with Torso, Vase, Chair and Nude 1970

Robert De Niro Senior’s ‘Studio Interior’ is a scene made in shifting strokes of warm oranges and cool blues. I can almost feel the painting coming into being, a dance of error and correction, as the artist searches for the right form, the right feeling. I can imagine De Niro in his studio, wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture the essence of these objects. See how he uses thin paint washes to build up the figure of the nude, creating a sense of volume with those confident lines? It’s like he’s sketching with paint. The brushstrokes are so physical; you can sense the movement of his hand, the pressure he applied to the brush. Think of Matisse, of course, but also maybe someone like Bonnard, who was also obsessed with these kinds of intimate interior spaces. Artists are always looking, always responding to one another, riffing on the past to create something new. This painting feels like part of that big, messy, ongoing conversation, a testament to the enduring power of paint to capture a feeling, a moment, a way of seeing.