Rear Admiral George W. Melville 1905

This is Rear Admiral George W. Melville, captured in oil by Thomas Eakins. Look at how Eakins built up this painting. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas, laying down those strokes. I can imagine him, brush in hand, trying to capture the essence of this man, not just his likeness. What was Melville thinking as he sat for Eakins? What was it like to be him? See how Eakins used thick paint in places and thin washes in others. Notice the admiral's hand, resting quietly, painted with such care and detail. Each brushstroke seems to communicate a feeling, an intention. It reminds me of the old masters, like Rembrandt, who were also so good at capturing the human spirit in paint. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and space, inspiring each other, riffing off each other's ideas. Painting, for me, is about embracing ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations, and finding new ways of seeing and experiencing the world.