Portrait of Joshua Bell 2019

Luis Álvarez Roure offers us a compelling study of Joshua Bell through the traditional medium of oil on canvas. Consider how Bell is depicted, with his unbuttoned white shirt conveying a deliberate casualness that is often used to create a sense of intimacy and openness. This motif can be traced back through portraiture, seen, for example, in the relaxed poses favored during the Renaissance, symbolizing intellectual freedom and humanistic values. The background, an amalgam of blues, greens, and earthy browns, provides a stage for the figure. However, the very lack of precise definition draws our attention to the tradition of the ‘unfinished’— a testament to the creative process that invites the viewer to participate in completing the scene. This evokes a powerful connection, linking us through time and our shared human experience. It’s a symbol that is always becoming, always revealing.