Belgian painter Michaël Borremans’ rise to prominence has come as a result of his marvelous painterly execution. In keeping with a long tradition of northern European realists, the present lot, Torso, 2009, is composed of a singular style in its brushwork that results in a mesmerizing effect when viewed at a distance. The fgure in Borremans’ piece is a nondescript blonde male, lying prone and efaced to the extent that most of his distinguishing features have been obscured by Borremans’ angle. Horrifyingly, the prone figure appears to have no arms, as mere folds of his suit jacket flank his sides instead. Borremans often employs his own photography as a source image when painting, so one must contemplate whether the armless fgure is a mannequin, a victim of murder, or perhaps even an illusionist who happens to be concealing his arms in order to delight in our horror. As a student of history, Borremans’ choice of subject matter falls in line with several European masters. Death, as a theme, frequently arises in his work (and in the present lot, in particular), and conjures up Velázquez, Jacques-Louis David, and even Édouard Manet. Manet’s 1864 work The Dead Toreador is uniquely similar to Torso, 2009, both thematically and compositionally as well, both artists opting to portray their fgures from a comparable angle. Like Manet, Borremans hovers
above his fallen fgure, hiding the anguish of the deceased, and leaving the observer with a stinging sense of accountability.