Standing Madonna with an Angel 1937 - 1938

Mikuláš Galanda made Standing Madonna with an Angel with oil on canvas, using a palette that's basically red, white, and blue, which gives it this vivid, almost patriotic feel. The way Galanda lays down the paint, it's all about the gesture, the movement of the hand. The texture is pretty smooth but you can still sense the presence of the brushstrokes, especially in the angel figures to the right, which have an almost sketch-like quality. You see how those red accents pop against the blue? It's like a little jolt of energy. Looking at the Madonna's dress, you can see how the white and blue mix, creating a shimmer, while the red gives her figure weight. There's something about the rawness of this piece that feels very honest. It reminds me a little of Gauguin, especially his simplified forms and use of color to evoke emotion. Ultimately, this painting is all about feeling, about the artist's process of working through ideas.