Thoughtful 1937 - 1938

Mikuláš Galanda made this watercolor, "Thoughtful," with delicate washes of warm, glowing yellows and oranges, and an off-white crayon. I imagine Galanda letting the pigment bloom and spread across the paper, coaxing out a figure from the gentle gradients of color. It’s as if the person has emerged from the paper itself. Her thoughtful pose, hands clasped beneath her chin, is rendered in the barest of outlines, childlike, like a drawing in a dream. There is a real sense of stillness, a quiet contemplation that radiates from the simple composition. It is lovely to see such a light touch, such a soft and gentle expression created by these marks. I imagine him in conversation with Matisse, and other modernists, experimenting with line and form. It makes me think of what it means to be an artist, to see the world, and to add to the conversation.