Nude 1917

Kmetty János made this Nude out of paint, presumably oil, and some kind of canvas. It is a very particular blue; the color is full of cool shadows, and it makes me wonder about the model, sitting there, posing, and the painter, thinking to themselves and staring. I love the gesture of her arm held up to her head. She seems to be looking down at something we cannot see; what is she thinking? It could be a romantic pose but it could also be totally melancholic. It's fascinating how a simple shift in the angle of a head or hand can change everything. The artist is playing with planes of light, the way Cezanne might. It's not about realism but about the way light falls on the body, creating a sense of volume and form. These painters are all in conversation with one another, you know, across time. They use each other as inspiration.