Louis XIV #7 2011

Alexander Roitburd painted this version of Louis XIV. The paint is thick, and swirly, and it looks like a painter enjoying the messiness of the medium. It’s not about getting it right, but getting it going. I love the way the folds of the fabric above the head become a kind of abstraction, while the lower section of the painting with the legs and the fleur de lis are slightly more readable. But it’s that headpiece – or whatever it is – that really grabs my attention. It’s like a strange, regal worm. The color palette feels both historical and kind of lurid at the same time. There’s something about the dark background that reminds me of early Gerhard Richter portraits where the figure seems to emerge from a blurry space. With Roitburd, as with Richter, painting isn’t about answers, it’s more about strange questions.