Man with a Blue Scarf 2005

Lucian Freud painted "Man with a Blue Scarf" with oils on canvas, and it's all about how he built the image through layers of paint. Look at the way the paint sits on the surface; it’s thick and sculptural, especially around the face. You can almost feel the weight and texture of it. Freud wasn't trying to hide anything, he's all about the physicality of paint. The strokes are visible, raw, like he’s carving into the canvas. Take a look at the way he renders the skin tones – it’s not about smooth realism, it's about capturing the nuances of light and shadow with these almost brutal daubs of color. It reminds me a bit of some of Van Gogh's portraits, not in style, but in the sense of emotional intensity. Both artists use paint to convey something deeper than just surface appearances. With Freud, it’s like he’s trying to get under the skin, to reveal the inner life of his subjects.