The Stroll 1982

Ernie Barnes's painting "The Stroll" is an oil on canvas that captures a lively scene, probably at a horse racing track. Looking at it, I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas, building up layers of browns and creams. The elongated figures are what first struck me. It's as if Barnes is stretching time, capturing the energy of the moment. I can see him thinking about how to convey a sense of the scene, how the light hits the figures. There's a kind of loving attention to detail. The painting is thick here, thin there, revealing the canvas. The muted palette gives the painting a nostalgic feel. The way Barnes captures the figures, especially their eyes, reminds me of other painters, maybe even some of the old masters. It’s like he's in conversation with them across time. The painting embraces ambiguity, inviting us to interpret it in our own way.