Planes by Colors (Great Nude) 1909

Frantisek Kupka made "Planes by Colors (Great Nude)" with oil paint, and he made it his way! The way he approaches color is so interesting. Rather than trying to describe the world, he is building a new one using colors like building blocks. The paint feels thin in places, almost translucent, allowing colors to glow beneath each other. He uses broad strokes, as if he’s sweeping the color onto the canvas. Look at the figure’s left leg. See how the white almost vibrates with a hint of pink and yellow? He is not only representing a nude, he’s abstracting the idea of flesh and light. Kupka, like Kandinsky, thought of painting as akin to music. The intensity of color in "Planes by Colors" becomes like a chord that vibrates and resonates with emotional power. You could also think about Matisse and the Fauves, and the way they used color to challenge the viewer's expectations. Ultimately it’s the sense of playful experimentation that stays with me.