Portrait of Juan Gris 1963

Patrick Caulfield painted this likeness of Juan Gris on a vivid yellow ground. It's as though Caulfield's conjuring Gris, not just painting him. I’m imagining him, maybe on a smoke break, thinking about Juan Gris's sharp angles and then letting those thoughts drip onto the canvas as cool, stark lines around the figure. The flat blocks of color are laid on with such precision, it's almost like graphic design, but it’s painting, pure and simple. And how about that suit? That matte, blue just pulls you right in. The thing about paintings like this, they always remind me that we're all in conversation. Like the way painters are always nodding, stealing, and winking at each other across time. And, here we are now looking at it and adding our own thoughts. It’s all painting, and it's all connected.