Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of his Master 2011

Kerry James Marshall painted “Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of his Master” using acrylic on canvas. The colors are muted, almost monochromatic, the forms simplified, and the space flattened. Marshall creates a powerful image, depicting a historical moment with a sense of immediacy. The texture in this painting is smooth, the paint applied in thin layers, and the brushstrokes are almost invisible. It’s as though Marshall wants us to focus on the story, not the paint. Look closely at Turner’s face, and you'll notice the subtle gradations of black, the almost imperceptible highlights that give him form. The way the artist handles the darkness is so sensitive and precise. There is something about Marshall's work that reminds me of Marsden Hartley, another artist who wasn’t afraid to tackle big themes in simple terms. Both artists remind us that painting is always a process of translating, of finding a way to make the invisible visible.