Two Oranges 1975

Here we have Avigdor Arikha’s careful dance with watercolor, resulting in two oranges sitting side-by-side, captured in a humble light. I can imagine Arikha setting up this still life, maybe feeling a bit like Morandi, focusing his whole attention on these two simple forms. It’s as though he's trying to understand what it means to really see. Look at the shadow work—those soft, grey hues bleeding into the off-white background. It’s delicate, almost tentative, as if he’s feeling his way around the edges of the oranges’ existence. What I like about Arikha is how he pulls us into this quiet space of observation. It reminds me of other painters who found endless fascination in everyday objects, like Giorgio Morandi. Artists are always in conversation, you know, riffing off each other, and it’s this shared curiosity that keeps the whole thing alive. So next time you see an orange, maybe you’ll think about this painting, and about how even the simplest things can hold a world of wonder.