The Counting Lesson 1938

Albert Huie's "The Counting Lesson" presents a young girl, rendered with what seems like oil on canvas, the surface worked and re-worked. There’s a softness to the way Huie builds up his forms; look at the way the light glances off the girl’s cheek, or the almost haphazard dabs that create the polka dots on her dress. He’s not trying to trick us into thinking this is a real scene; instead, the paint feels like an active participant, almost a character in its own right. The darks are rich and inviting, built from multiple layers, and everywhere your eye lands, the physical presence of the paint reminds us of the artist’s hand. The girl’s expression is what holds the piece together. The small marks that create the hands are echoed in the face, creating a relationship between thought and action. Huie is an important figure in the Jamaican art scene, and like many of his contemporaries, you can see the influence of artists like Cezanne in his process oriented approach. What a gift it is to see him so invested in the process of seeing.