Antonio Machado 2013

This portrait of Antonio Machado was painted by Alejandro Cabeza, it's 55 x 46 cm and I'm guessing it's oil on canvas. Look at the way Cabeza builds the face with these distinct, visible brushstrokes. There's a real focus on the process of painting itself, where each mark feels like a conscious decision, not trying to hide the fact that it's made of paint. The color palette is restrained, mostly earth tones, but then there are these flashes of red in the cheeks and around the eye that brings life to the figure. It is as if he is trying to capture not just the likeness, but also something about the subject's inner life, that flash of emotion. The texture of the paint is particularly evident in the background, where the brushstrokes create this kind of hazy, atmospheric space around the figure. It reminds me of Lucien Freud, in that both artists aren't afraid to show the rawness and messiness of the painting process. It's a testament to how art can embrace ambiguity and the multiple ways we experience the world.