The Principessa's Champions 1966

Frank Mason painted "The Principessa's Champions" with oil on canvas, though the exact date remains a mystery, this is a real painterly rendering of these resting dogs. I love the deep, rich blacks that swallow the scene, leaving only the pups illuminated. Mason's brushwork is so present; you can almost feel the give and take of the bristles as he laid down each stroke. See how the paint is built up, thick in some areas, like on the tan fur of the dog on the left, and thinner, more transparent, in the shadows. It's like he's sculpting with color, letting the physicality of the medium do the talking. And that little patch of red and yellow beneath the dogs is like a spark that ignites the whole composition. Reminds me a little of some of Courbet's darker interiors, but with a tenderness that's all Mason's own. It’s a reminder that painting is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.