God 1990

Bo Bartlett, who was born in 1955, made this painting called ‘God’ without a known date using what looks like oil on canvas. There is something about the surface quality of ‘God’ that pulls me in, it is so smooth. The painting is dominated by earth tones, with a quilt draped over the shoulders of the sitter. The quilt has lots of different colors, red, blue, and green, but they’re all muted and earthy. I find myself thinking about the way that he uses the paint, its application. There's a real balance between precision and looseness here. Take a look at the figure’s face, the light on his forehead. You can really see the brushstrokes and how the paint is layered to create this sense of light and shadow, but there’s also a certain softness to it all, like a memory. It calls to mind the paintings of Lucian Freud, particularly in the way that Bartlett captures the texture of human skin. Yet, whereas Freud’s paintings often have a raw, almost confrontational quality, Bartlett’s ‘God’ feels more contemplative, as though inviting us into a quiet moment of reflection.