Dew 2020

Vincent Xeus made this painting, Dew, with oil on canvas using a careful application of visible brush marks. You can see that the marks have a deliberateness which suggests that the painting process is as important as the image. The surface of the painting is quite smooth but, looking closely, you can see how it is built up from many small brushstrokes, especially in the face. The rosy cheeks are built up using delicate layering, and the highlights on the face are applied with a thick impasto. The brushwork gives the painting a real presence, and the sensitivity that you can see in the mark making gives a sense of the artist’s sensitivity to his subject. This kind of portraiture always reminds me of Elizabeth Peyton whose work often focuses on capturing the fleeting beauty of youth. Like Peyton, Xeus captures a sense of fragile beauty. Painting like this reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation.