Matador 1961

LeRoy Neiman painted ‘Matador’ with oil on canvas, capturing a bullfighting scene, although when is anyone's guess. It's a vibrant explosion of color, all reds, pinks and yellows with very little blending, which feels like a celebration of the act of applying paint. I find the texture of the paint fascinating. It's thick and almost sculptural in places, creating a tactile surface that begs to be touched - though please don’t! See how Neiman uses these bold strokes to define the figure of the matador? It gives a sense of energy and movement, like the scene is unfolding right before your eyes. There’s this delicious, almost reckless quality in the way the colours are laid down, each stroke adding to the overall drama and intensity. Neiman’s style reminds me of Joan Mitchell’s work, in the way he uses colour to convey emotion. But unlike her abstraction, Neiman infuses this gestural approach into a representational scene, capturing the spectacle of the bullfight. It’s a real testament to the power of painting as a medium.