Portrait of W.A.F. Banner 1933

Isaac Israels made this oil painting of W.A.F. Banner in 1933. The colours are muted and tasteful, almost like he mixed everything with the same grey, which gives it a sense of harmony, and also a little sadness. I love the way Israels builds up the form of the face and body through these loose, brushy strokes. It’s not about perfection, but about capturing a likeness through the act of painting itself. If you look closely at the area around the sitter’s left eye, you can see how the paint is layered, each stroke contributing to the overall shape and expression. It’s almost like he’s sculpting with paint, adding and subtracting until the face emerges from the canvas. This reminds me a bit of Manet, with its attention to the surface of the painting and its willingness to leave the process visible. It's like Israels is saying, "Here’s the painting, but here’s also the act of painting." In art, it's never just one thing.