Seated bearded man 1910

This is Roger de La Fresnaye's 'Seated Bearded Man,' oil on canvas, and the brushwork is so free, it's like watching a dance. The color palette here is earthy, skin tones against greens and browns, but look at the way those greens aren't just flat, they're alive with movement. This is all about process; you can see the artist figuring things out as he goes, the layers building up and shifting. I love how Fresnaye uses these small brushstrokes to build up the form, especially around the torso where you see the ribcage. The paint isn't trying to hide itself or trick you into thinking it's something else; it’s right there on the surface, thick and present. It reminds me a little of early Cezanne and how he tried to capture the volume of figures with planes of color. Ultimately though, it's pure Fresnaye, a meditation on form, process, and the quiet intensity of simply being.