"William Wirt" Figurehead c. 1938

Molly Bodenstein made this painting "William Wirt" with muted browns and ochres on paper. It's a head and shoulder portrait of a marble sculpture. I imagine Molly standing in front of this sculpture, trying to capture the feel of the stone. Look how she’s built up layers of thin paint to describe the shape. The light seems to be coming from above, casting shadows that give the sculpture weight and presence. I wonder, was she thinking about the person, William Wirt, or the object, the sculpture? Or maybe both, since paintings can hold contradictory ideas. The way the light falls on his face is beautiful and the slightly upturned gaze gives the piece a melancholic quality. It feels like a conversation across time. Like artists are always picking up where others left off, responding and reimagining the world. Painting lets you think about all this stuff at once. It's why I keep doing it, anyway.