History in the present

Reading painter Theophilus Brown’s bio is like reading a volume of art history. After serving several difficult years in World War II, the young artist had encounters with the likes of Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Pablo Picasso, and became friends with Igor and Vera Stravinsky. At one point, Brown even joined the faculty at UC Davis.

As fascinating as his personal stories are, his artwork is just as enthralling. He was a part of the Bay Area figurative movement of the mid-20th century, and his compositions are stark, yet steeped with intimacy. Viewing his work is like opening a door into the mind of an introvert, full of depth, secrets, observations and misplaced details. And the 90-something artist, now living in San Francisco, hasn’t abandoned his paintbrush yet.