Portrait Of Richard Sloan 1973

This is Norman Rockwell’s portrait of Richard Sloan, made with oil paint and a desire to capture a likeness, but also, maybe, to riff on the artistic life. Look at those fleshy strokes bringing Sloan’s face to life, contrasted against the flat, almost cartoonish blue of his shirt! And the background—a simple wash of green—makes me think Rockwell wasn’t trying to create a scene, but rather play with the colors and textures of paint. Rockwell's brushstrokes seem to be a bit of an ode to everyday life, too. There’s an honesty, a directness that I admire. He’s inviting us to see the person, but also the paint itself. What I love most about painting is this ongoing conversation—artists responding to artists across time, building on each other's ideas. Each stroke contributes to the story, each layer adds depth, and the finished work becomes a testament to the messy, beautiful process of making.