Portrait of Stevie 2017

Aaron Nagel painted "Portrait of Stevie" with oils, and you can tell he's thinking about the history of portraiture. The layers of paint are so smooth, creating this incredible softness in her face. It's like Nagel is building Stevie’s likeness stroke by stroke, each one adding to the overall form. Notice the subtle blush on her cheeks, achieved with delicate glazes. The way he captures the light reflecting in her eyes feels almost photographic, yet there is a real painterly quality to the work. Her black tank top anchors the composition. It contrasts against the hazy gray background, making her the focal point. It reminds me of Lucian Freud’s portraits, that same intensity. Both artists seem fascinated by the human form, that push and pull between abstraction and representation. It’s this tension that makes painting so endlessly compelling, isn't it?