Conductor (Bloch?) seen from Audience 1939

Donald Greason made this painting, Conductor (Bloch?) seen from Audience, using ink, probably sometime in the 1930s. It’s mostly shades of brown and the brushstrokes are loose, like he was trying to capture a feeling more than a photographic likeness. I imagine Greason sitting in the audience, maybe a bit tired, but still captivated by the music and the energy of the conductor. What does it feel like to be in the audience? He’s using these fluid strokes to capture the light, the sound, the feeling of being part of a crowd all experiencing the same thing. That bold stroke of brown above the conductor's head – it almost feels like a thought bubble, or a visual echo of the music itself. Painters are always in dialogue with one another, grabbing ideas, remixing them, and making something new. Greason's work feels like a continuation of that conversation, reminding us that art is never created in a vacuum, but always in response to what came before.