The Wash, Etude 1953

Petros Malayan made this painting, “The Wash, Etude”, using oil on canvas with a colour palette that’s mostly muted greens, blues, and browns. I imagine he built it up layer by layer, figuring it out as he went along, letting the painting itself guide him to completion. You can almost feel the weight of the water in that blue basin, and the young woman’s focus as she bends over her chore. The quick brushstrokes bring a liveliness to the scene, and the way the light catches on the metal objects is really satisfying. I see a dialogue here, the artist responding to what's in front of him, but also to what other artists have done before. It’s all about the artist’s touch, a way of seeing and feeling, then putting that down on canvas with paint. And isn’t that what painting’s really about anyway? It’s like we’re all just talking to each other, across time, through these painted surfaces.