Phyllis Rubin 1952

Alice Neel painted this portrait of Phyllis Rubin, and you can see how she approaches mark-making with a lot of confidence. There's a certain rawness that gives the painting a really alive feeling, like she’s capturing a real presence. The way Neel uses color, it's not about making things look realistic. Instead, look at the fleshy tones in the arms and legs - they're built up with layers, almost like you can see the blood flowing underneath the skin. And that blue dress! It's such a vibrant, almost unreal shade of blue, it brings the whole composition to life. The paint is applied pretty thinly in some areas, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through, while in others, like around the eyes, it's built up, creating a sense of depth and intensity. That dark outline around the figure, it kind of reminds me of some of Paula Modersohn-Becker's portraits, there is a similar attempt to capture life on canvas, in a direct way. Ultimately, like all good painting, it's about feeling more than seeing, right?