Caroline Bingham (1938–1998), Biographer and Historian 1965

John Bratby made this portrait of Caroline Bingham in 1980, layering brushstrokes of orange, green, and white oils. Imagine him standing there, bristles loaded with paint, attacking the canvas! This is definitely not a 'likeness' in the classical sense, right? But it sure feels like something true. I’m sympathizing with Bratby, picturing him mixing globs of paint – maybe straight from the tube? – and then slashing at the surface. The paint is thick, sculptural almost, and there is something performative about the act of painting. Look at the orange strokes forming her hair. You can almost feel the energy of his hand moving across the canvas, each stroke building into a mass of colour. Painters are always talking to each other, across time and space. Bratby’s energetic brushwork reminds me of Van Gogh’s portraits, where the paint itself becomes a way of communicating feeling. Painting is a way of exploring the world, embracing all the mess and uncertainty. It’s not about having all the answers, but asking all the questions.