The Portrait of Okoi 1935

Paul Jacoulet made "The Portrait of Okoi" with woodblock printing, and you can almost feel him feeling his way around the block, thinking about the colors in their layers. The subtle gradations of color are what get me. Like, look at the kimono, the way those blues meet and blend, it's so delicate. The purple sash, that patterned fabric, it gives the piece a depth that almost feels real. You can see the weave! And the way he’s handled the skin tones, it's not just flat color, there's a sense of light and shadow playing across the surface. In a way, this piece reminds me of Vuillard, that same attention to domestic scenes, that same subtle use of color. But Jacoulet brings a whole different cultural context to the table. And that's what makes art so cool, right? It's this ongoing conversation, this exchange of ideas across time and space.