Nodriza 1934

José Garnelo made "Nodriza" with oil on canvas; it's roughly 50 by 61 centimeters. Look at the strokes that build this black goat reclining on a stone wall. I’m imagining Garnelo, brush in hand, coaxing this scene into being, a dance between intention and accident. There's something about the way he handles the paint – not too fussy, but with a real sense of touch. What was he thinking as he built up those layers? What did it feel like to stand there, observing the animal in the sun? The way the browns and blacks blend on its body, it’s like he’s trying to capture the warmth of its fur. I love how he shows the wall with the crumbling plaster, it gives you a feeling about the location. It reminds me of other painters like Courbet, who weren’t afraid to get down and dirty with the real world. Artists, you know, we're all in conversation with each other. It’s a conversation that stretches across centuries, full of shared secrets and inside jokes, a constant give-and-take of ideas.