Byootiful!

(In my opinion, anyway) one of the best American artists of the 20th century, Jack Levine was born in Boston in 1915 and began his art career during the Great Depression. Working in representational imagery rather than abstract, by his own admission, Levine's art is heavily influenced by Rembrandt and other European masters, but his subject matter is frequently quite American and satirical. "I am primarily concerned with the condition of man. The satirical direction I have chosed is an indication of my disappointment in man, which is the opposite way of saying that I have high expectations for the human race." The painting here dates from 1998 and is called "Finger of Newt" — featuring the architect of the Republican Party's "Contract With America" See more of Levine's paintings. No matter how sordid the subject matter may be, it's hard to resist the beauty of the paintings themselves, with their rich colors and swirling brushstrokes.

But perhaps even more than the paintings, I enjoy his etchings, which really show the Rembrandt influence, particularly in his series of historical portraits of Jewish holy men. "My father's death in 1939 started me on the path of painting these Jewish sages. It was his religion, not mine, but when he died I felt like I was scoring points for him..."

For more information on this great artist, I recommend two books: Jack Levine, Steven Robert Frankel, Rozzoli, 1989 and The Complete Graphic Work of Jack Levine, Kenneth W. Prescott and Emma-Stina Prescott, Dover Books, 1984.