Muž s bolavou rukou 1919

Josef Capek made "Man with a sore hand" in 1910, though the medium is not specified, I would guess it’s oil on canvas. The colors are muted, almost sickly, with shades of yellow, gray, and pink that give the painting a somber mood. The way Capek simplifies form in this painting reminds me of Picasso, who was doing similar things around the same time. Capek is interested in the feeling of reality over representing reality itself. Look at the hand in particular, the pink fleshy tone, and how it seems to morph with the object that he holds, or perhaps what holds him. It’s not just a portrait, it’s an exploration of the feeling of alienation. Thinking about it, this painting reminds us that art is often about ambiguity, not about fixed meanings, and it's in this ambiguity that we find space for our own interpretations.