Tochter Mary c. 1920

Franz von Stuck made this portrait of his daughter Mary, and I wonder, how did he think about her when making this work? The surface is all hatched, giving a real sense of volume to the clouds and her features, like a drawing that also wants to be a painting. The painting feels fresh, like he just put those marks down, without labouring over it too much. The slightly melancholic expression of her face is really interesting when paired with the brightness of her beautiful blue ribbons! It reminds me of the way Alice Neel used colour to draw out a sitter's character, trying to capture a feeling or essence. What's so intriguing about figurative painting is trying to understand what the artist wants to convey about the subject - is it just an image, or is it something more? Painting is a conversation across time. We all inform one another's creativity!