Gipsies dancing 1936

Ivan Generalic made this painting, called Gipsies dancing, in 1936 with oil on glass. The way he builds up the scene with these solid, blocky figures, it’s like he's carving them into existence. The texture of the paint is smooth and even, almost like enamel. Look at the way the light hits that cluster of dancers in the foreground. There's a real sense of movement in their gestures, but the brushstrokes are controlled, almost deliberate. I keep coming back to the man in the black suit and a flower on his lapel. There’s something both lively and melancholic about him. He’s right in the center of the chaos, but he seems to be in his own world. You know, Generalic's work reminds me of Pieter Bruegel. Both of them had this way of capturing the everyday lives of people. It's like they're saying, "Life is messy and complicated, but it's also beautiful and worth celebrating."