“First of all, I love other people,” says Henry Taylor. “I love to meet them, and the fact I can just paint them.” Taylor is known for his empathetic portraits, portraying historical figures, friends, and people he encounters in everyday life — particularly members of the Black community. The artist’s vivid colors and expressive, energetically applied brush strokes convey a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the paintings. The man in this work is Taylor’s friend and fellow artist Oscar Murillo.

July 22, 2020