Nude on a Red Sofa 1910

William Glackens made this oil on canvas, Nude on a Red Sofa. The way he builds the colors, it's all about process. He’s not trying to give you a perfect photograph. There’s a joy in the making. I love how the red of the sofa seems to vibrate and glow, like the figure is radiating heat. The paint is applied in a loose, almost broken way. You can see the individual strokes of the brush. It's like he’s letting you in on the secret, showing you how the image is constructed, bit by bit. Look how the pale flesh tones are built from blues, yellows, and greens, playing against the warmth of the red. Check out the detail of the model's right hand, how it rests on her thigh. Glackens is showing us the reality of skin on skin, not some idealized vision. Glackens was part of the Ashcan School, a group of artists who painted everyday life. You can see a connection to Renoir here, in the soft brushwork and the intimate portrayal of the figure. But Glackens has his own distinct voice, his own way of seeing the world. Art is about that, isn't it? It's about how we see, how we feel, and how we share that with others.