Woman with a Hat 1905

Maurice de Vlaminck made this painting, Woman with a Hat, with oil on canvas. Look at how Vlaminck applied paint with such an urgency, its raw energy practically leaps off the canvas. It's a process laid bare, like seeing an artist's thoughts in real time. The texture in this painting is so alive! The paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, especially around the woman's hat. The blues and greens create a kind of swirling energy around the figure, while the reds in her lips give a focal point. You can almost feel the brushstrokes. Notice the way the paint is laid on in short, choppy strokes. It's like he's building up the image piece by piece, each stroke adding to the overall impact. Vlaminck's Fauvist energy reminds me of the fearlessness of someone like Kirchner, who was also interested in the psychological impact of colour. Art isn't about answers; it's about the questions, the hesitations, the journey of discovery.