Young Smoking a Pipe 1925

Eugeniusz Zak created this painting, “Young Smoking a Pipe,” and it's like he's inviting us into a world of soft edges and dreamy hues. The colors blend so seamlessly, it's hard to tell where one begins and another ends, very suggestive of the endless possibilities of an artist’s process. The texture here is just gorgeous; the paint looks like it's been layered and glazed, giving it a sort of inner glow, doesn’t it? See the way the light catches on the figure's arm, those highlights? It's like Zak is sculpting with light and shadow. There’s one spot, right near the pipe, where the colors swirl together. It feels like the whole painting hinges on that one little area; like everything else is in service to this small vortex of color. This piece reminds me of Modigliani, with that elongated figure and wistful expression, or maybe even some of Picasso's earlier, more melancholic works. It's all part of a conversation, isn't it?