Untitled 1997

This untitled painting was made by Zdzislaw Beksinski, we don't know when, but it's oil on canvas. Beksinski built up this image, layer upon layer, like the slow accumulation of sediment. It feels like he arrived at the figure of the musician, through a process of gradual revealing, through an almost archaeological dig. Look at how the surface is worked, the colours are muted, creating an overall effect of decay and ruin. The paint seems dry, almost powdery in places, and there’s a real tension between the subject matter – this almost skeletal figure playing a violin – and the way it’s rendered. Check out the detail on the left hand, the ring stands out, as if the figure was once someone of wealth and status, and the painting is the story of time and decay. Beksinski reminds me of Goya, his Black Paintings, in the way he confronts the darker sides of human existence, through a deeply personal vision. Like Goya, he embraces ambiguity, inviting us to find our own meanings in his work.