Tarot 2005

Nelson Shanks made this painting of a woman holding what looks like a fortune, sometime before 2015. The mark-making has a beautiful simplicity, but it is also clearly considered. Look at the background: the color has been dragged across the canvas, and although it seems like an even tone, there are subtle shades and hues within it. It's not overworked, or overthought. The woman is made up of many similar tones, built up in layers, and the colours are echoed in the background, especially the blue of her dress. See how the hand holding the tarot has such elongated fingers? The expression on her face speaks of a certain apprehension, too. I think that's really key to how we understand the piece, which reminds me of the quiet ambiguity of a painting by Manet. Both artists share a deep appreciation of how to capture light, and the ways in which painting can offer us new perspectives.