In paintings such as Le Duc d'Orléans (2015), Deborah Brown “reinterpret[s] Old Master portraits… to reexamine the conventions inherent in these works.”[1] Blurring the identity of the sitter, Brown subverts the Western art historical canon by centering the composition around a swirling pink mass that replaces the human form. Although the clothing of the figure describes a decorated soldier and the darkened background recalls compositions typical of 17th century French royal portraiture, Brown’s quickened brushstrokes remove any honor traditionally bestowed to the subject or the technical precision of their portraitist.