Frederick Blumenstein c. 1940s

Franz Kline made this painting, Frederick Blumenstein, with oil on canvas, but when? Look at the colours, a restrained palette of blues, yellows and browns, applied in bold strokes with a casual lack of precision. The paint is relatively thin and transparent, allowing the tones beneath to flicker through. It feels like Kline is trying to capture a likeness but without getting bogged down in detail. The painting seems to be built up through a process of layering and erasure, adjustments and reconsiderations, that feels very human. The way the yellow tie is brushed in with such a casual flick of the wrist reminds me of Manet. This is painting as a process of discovery. It doesn't try to conceal its workings, but lays them bare. It is a conversation between the artist and the canvas, a search for something more elusive than mere representation.