Let’s Talk About Philip Guston’s Paintings, And How He Achieved Eerie Contemporary Status

“In much the same way as Brahms composed variations on themes from Haydn, Handel, Paganini, and Schumann, making their melodies his own by means of elaborate musical embroidery, Guston proved a skilled adapter of diverse sources, motifs, and mannerisms that came together in his hands as compelling, if still formative, works.”