Après-midi de printemps 1961

Natalia Dumitresco made "Après-midi de printemps" with paint, and, I imagine, a whole lot of feeling. The overall effect is of a mosaic, built up from small units of pigment, all dancing around a central cluster. Look at how she lays down the paint. It's not about blending or finesse; it's more about this direct, almost urgent application. Thick strokes of red and gray crash into each other, creating a surface that's alive with texture. You can almost feel the energy of the artist’s hand as she’s wrestling with the canvas. It's like she’s trying to capture something fleeting, a memory or a sensation. And those little marks, scattered throughout the painting, they remind me of Joan Mitchell's chaotic brushstrokes, but here, they're more contained, almost architectural. Dumitresco is part of a long lineage of painters who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, who understand that painting is as much about the process as it is about the final image. It's a conversation, a negotiation between the artist and the material.