Woman with Bird 1920

Émilie Charmy painted this "Woman with Bird," probably in the early 20th century, with oil on canvas. Looking at the wispy, blurry strokes, it’s so clear that art-making is a process. The paint isn’t trying to be too slick, or hide its tracks. Instead, it looks like Charmy was experimenting with how to capture the softness of the woman’s features and the bird's gentle presence. What I love most is that she seems to be trying to create the feeling that painting is alive. I’m drawn to the way the bird almost blends with the woman's dress. It feels as if the bird is less an object, and more an extension of her own self. I think that Charmy, like her contemporary Berthe Morisot, embraces ambiguity, letting the forms remain loose and open to multiple interpretations. It's like a conversation between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers.