January 11, 2002

Traces of Artistry

By LAURIE FENDRICH

Last June, I stood holding my breath in the National Gallery in London, my eyes not 10 inches from Jan van Eyck's "Man in a Red Turban." Painted in 1433, it's a small picture, about 10 by 7 inches. For any painter, including an abstract painter like myself, there's a tingle that comes from being so close to such a painting. No intermediary is necessary, and none is present. The thrill of the painting is that it comes to you, perceptually, directly from the artist, almost as if it came off the

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