Reading on the Fire Escape

This is another painting I’m auctioning off to benefit ProPublica–go here for details.

The only reason I ever keep a painting is because I’m so pleased with it that I’m sure I’ll never paint another one as good. I kept this one for years for that reason. I just loved it. Even when I thought I was pretty sure I could paint it all over again and be just as satisfied, I wasn’t sure–so I did. I painted another version of it, from the same photograph, at a small size.

And I thought, “Yeah, that one’s good, too.”

So now I can let it go.

Although you can’t see it, she’s actually reading a book, which is why this goes in my series of paintings of New Yorkers reading.