Respect 1902

Ludwig Deutsch made this painting called "Respect" sometime between 1855 and 1935 with what looks like oil on canvas. The approach here is so smooth it's almost invisible, like there's no trace of the hand. The paint is applied so thinly that it disappears into the details of the scene. Look closely at the stone wall and the way the light hits it. You can feel the heat radiating from the surface. The artist is hiding their process to show off their skill. It's about capturing a moment with incredible precision. I think about artists like Gerhard Richter, who create paintings based on photographs. The whole thing feels meticulously rendered, like a photograph. But there’s also something deeply artificial about it. It reminds us that art isn't just about what we see, but how we see it, and how the artist wants us to see it.