Fragment of Wall Decoration c. 1940

Michael Lauretano made this "Fragment of Wall Decoration" sometime between 1855 and 1995, most likely using gouache on paper. The colours are muted, like a memory, and the brushstrokes are confident but straightforward, celebrating the act of making. The surface is matte, with colours laid down in flat, opaque areas. There's a directness that I really appreciate. The column on the left, it's like Lauretano is saying, "Here's a column, I'm painting a column." The way the pinky-red details are added feels so intuitive, so of-the-moment. They remind me of some of Redon’s pastels, that same dreamlike quality. It’s clearly a fragment, which makes me wonder what the rest of the wall looked like, was this part of a larger composition, or a study for something else? And how does art, in general, function as an ongoing conversation through time? Ultimately, it’s up to us to decide.