Art Students 1983

Frank Mason’s “Art Students” is an oil on canvas where brushstrokes swim in a sea of warm reds and browns. The painting is all about atmosphere. The students are bathed in a theatrical light, the kind that makes you feel like you’re backstage at a play. Look at the wall behind the statue, how Mason blends those colors, almost like smoke, and then punctuates them with these bright, impastoed highlights. It’s a bravura passage that manages to be both chaotic and controlled. I’m thinking about other artists who loved the studio, like Courbet, and how they used the space to think about art, life, and all that good stuff. This painting isn't just a scene; it's an invitation to consider the conversations that happen in these hallowed halls. Like, what are they drawing? Are they getting it "right"? Does it even matter?