Deer 1993

Here we have Bo Bartlett's painting of a deer, standing on a small hill, rendered with a delicate and deliberate approach. The colours are subdued, almost monochromatic, allowing the form of the deer and the texture of the landscape to come forward. Notice how the brushstrokes blend almost seamlessly; the paint is thin, which gives it a smooth, almost porcelain-like appearance. Look closely at the deer's fur; the subtle variations in tone evoke the texture. There's a tenderness in how it’s painted, a quiet observation that feels intimate. The way the hill is textured contrasts with the sky and the deer. It’s like Bartlett's interested in the tension between the wild and the serene. There’s something of Andrew Wyeth in Bartlett's precise realism. But it also feels contemporary, like a memory or a dream, leaving you with more questions than answers, and that's what makes it interesting.