While I was in Philadelphia, I went to the Barnes collection and noticed portraits that looked like nothing else in the room. These portraits and other "scenes" were painted by Soutine, a Russian Expressionist painter. The rawness and almost ugly quality of his work drew me towards it, especially because it was surrounded by beautifully crafted paintings and still life. Soutine's stroke/mark is one of the most prevalent and known things about his work. I remember listening to the audio guide for one of his portraits and the woman speaking talked about how grotesque it was. Part of this is because of his thick and messy mark, but the other part is because of how disproportionate his figures are. I really enjoy the "realness" of his work even though it is difficult to determine what he is painting.