Salle Privee 1988

LeRoy Neiman made this image of a Monte Carlo private gambling room with printmaking ink, probably as a study for a larger painting. I can just imagine him, quickly working, the image swiftly coming into being with vivid brushstrokes of purple, green, yellow, and red. I love the speed of mark-making and the flatness of the blocks of color which give it this kind of Pop sensibility. Just look at that green – it’s so bold! And the purple ground against the green makes the painting feel really alive, like the hum of the casino itself. Neiman's broad, gestural marks build up the scene, capturing the mood and energy of the moment. There's a real sense of the theatrical, as if the scene is illuminated by stage lighting. Neiman was clearly inspired by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas, who also captured scenes of leisure and nightlife. It reminds me that we are all in this long, winding conversation of painting through the ages.