Red Head 2004

Jacob Collins made this artwork, Red Head, in oil paint, and looking at it I can imagine the act of painting itself: the artist applying thin glazes, building up the luminosity of the skin, and adding depth with each layer. I can imagine him thinking about Titian, the great Venetian master, when he made this. There's a kind of Renaissance classicism going on, but it's been subtly updated. The paint is applied thinly, allowing the light to bounce off the canvas. It almost feels like the figure is illuminated from within. The fall of light on the body and the crisp white sheets is so carefully observed. The hand is relaxed, almost falling from the bed, and somehow that communicates a feeling of resignation and release. But what I love most is the redhead, set against that dark background. It reminds me of so many paintings from the past, and yet feels so new. It speaks to the ongoing conversation among painters across time.