Best friends 1934

Romualdo Locatelli made "Best Friends" in 1934 with oil on canvas, and what strikes me first is the bravura of his brushwork. It's like he's building the image right before your eyes. The surface has this wonderfully tactile quality, where you can almost feel the push and pull of the brush. Look closely at the way he renders the girls' faces – see how the paint is applied in these quick, almost shorthand strokes? It's less about capturing every detail and more about capturing the feeling, the warmth of their smiles and their connection. The one on the right almost looks as if she were painted alla prima, or all in one go. There's a looseness and energy in Locatelli's approach that reminds me a bit of Manet, especially in the way he uses light and shadow to create form. But Locatelli brings his own sensibility to the table. He seems to say that art is not about perfection, but about the joy of seeing and the act of making.