Jean and Susan 1956

John Bratby made this painting, Jean and Susan, with visible brushstrokes and a muted color palette, capturing a fleeting moment in time. You can almost feel Bratby’s presence as he worked. I imagine him, brush in hand, circling his subject and daubing colors on the canvas, trying to capture the essence of these two women. The surface is built up with layers of thin paint, creating a tactile quality that invites you to reach out and touch it. There’s an intensity in the way the paint is applied, almost as if Bratby is wrestling with the canvas, trying to pin down a feeling or an idea. The drips and splatters add to the sense of urgency and immediacy, as if the painting is still in the process of becoming. Bratby, who was associated with Kitchen Sink realism, reminds me of other artists who use painting to explore the everyday, like Fairfield Porter or even Alice Neel. There is a sense of immediacy in the paint application that seems like he's in conversation with these other artists, exchanging ideas across time and space. For me this painting is an invitation to slow down, observe, and appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world around us.