Shop Lady 1910

William James Glackens' oil painting, Shop Lady, is a delicious record of a moment, a feeling, made of dashes and daubs. The paint is juicy, not too thick, but definitely present; you can feel the brushstrokes. Look at the way he renders the hat, a riot of white, the kind of thing you might see on a society lady, maybe around the time of Manet, who Glackens clearly knew and loved. Then your eye falls on the face. It's not conventionally beautiful, but it's so real, with these striking blue eyes. There's a slight awkwardness that I find really appealing. I love that tension between the fashionable surface and the human depth. It reminds me that painting isn't about getting it "right," but about embracing the mess and the surprise. It is a conversation, after all, between the artist, the subject, and the viewer.