Czóbel Béla Körmendi Frim Prtréja 1907 1907

This is Bela Czobel’s portrait of Körmendi Frim, made in 1907. Czobel's bold mark-making and interesting use of colour gives the piece a distinctive energy. For me, it speaks to the kind of experimental, process-oriented artmaking that I am interested in. The texture of the paint is remarkable; it’s thick, almost sculptural in places, with visible brushstrokes adding to its tactile quality. The juxtaposition of colours in the face – yellows, pinks, and oranges – creates a vibrant, almost unsettling effect, giving the portrait a strange sense of depth. The overall effect is one of immediacy and raw emotion. Look at the little flick of bright red on the lips, its a perfect example of how a single mark can bring a whole painting alive. Czobel was part of the same artistic circles in Paris as Matisse, and you can definitely see some of that Fauvist influence here. But he was also doing his own thing, pushing the boundaries of portraiture. To me, it demonstrates the way art is an ongoing conversation, with each artist responding to and building upon what came before.