Octoroon 1922

Archibald Motley painted "Octoroon" with oil on canvas, the date is unknown. Looking at the skin tones in this portrait, you can see how Motley’s approach to painting is about blending and smoothing, the colours gently melting into one another. This is especially notable in the face, where light and shadow meet, creating an impression of soft luminosity. I love the way her fingers are rendered, there's such care taken to capture the subtleties of light and shadow. The rose is a striking detail, it’s not just an add-on, it's part of the story. It's like Motley is saying that beauty, like identity, is layered and complex. The subtle tonal modelling of the flesh is reminiscent of work by Manet, although Motley does bring his own vision to the genre of portraiture. Motley’s work remains relevant because it doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations, choosing to explore ideas through the subtle language of paint.