I took this photograph yesterday at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., in the hallway with new acquisitions. This is a painting by the late Merv Corning (1926-2006) done in 1981 in watercolor and graphite on paper. It is one of hundreds of portraits Corning produced from 1966 on of players for the National Football League.
Walter Payton was a Chicago Bear running back from 1975-1987, nicknamed "Sweetness." He was born in Columbia, Mississippi, went on to have a very successful NFL career, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He was named League MVP in 1977 and 1985.
One of the characteristics I admire of Corning's work is his tendency to leave a lot of the paper unpainted. To some this may seem unfinished, but I find it forces the viewer to zoom in on the player's posture and expression. In addition, he gives reverence to his subject by making us look up at him through Corning's perspective, while capturing Payton's true presence through realism.
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