Going My Way 2013

Greg Hildebrandt made this painting, called 'Going My Way,' with exacting detail and a keen eye for realism. I’m thinking about the stairs, how they lead our eyes upward, maybe mimicking the woman’s own journey or aspiration? It’s all so staged, and I can't help but wonder about her story. What’s she thinking as she climbs those stairs? Is it a moment of anticipation, hesitation, or something else entirely? You get the sense that this is a single moment lifted from a broader story. The red wall behind her feels electric, doesn't it? But it's the checkered pattern of the stairs that really grabs me; they’re so precise, so graphic, they contrast with the softer lines of her figure. Hildebrandt has an impressive ability to render light, form, and shadow so smoothly that it almost feels like a photograph. It's a very specific type of realism, one that continues to influence a lot of contemporary image-making and narrative painting.