Four Generations of Dickie Men 2008

Eric Fischl’s “Four Generations of Dickie Men” is a family portrait rendered in oil on canvas with a painterly touch, where the process of image making feels right there on the surface. The paint application is quite loose, especially around the edges and in the background, allowing the underpainting to peek through which creates a sense of depth and vibrancy. Fischl isn’t trying to hide the brushstrokes. Instead, he embraces them, using them to build up the forms and create texture. Look at the way he captures the folds of the clothing or the subtle shadows on the faces – it’s all done with these visible, confident strokes. I’m particularly drawn to the way he renders the skin tones, with these subtle shifts in color that give the figures a real sense of presence. And of course it reminds me of Alice Neel, another artist who was fearless in their approach to portraiture, capturing the raw and vulnerable aspects of the human experience. Fischl gives us something real, honest, and open to interpretation.