Two Women 1931

Mikuláš Galanda’s painting "Two Women" invites us into a world of soft forms and ambiguous space, where the act of painting itself seems to be the main event. Look at the way the figures are rendered; they’re almost like soft sculptures, shaped with gentle gradations of pink and red. The bodies seem to emerge from the foggy ground and blend with it. The paint application is smooth, with no visible brushstrokes. It’s as if Galanda wanted to eliminate any trace of the artist's hand, focusing instead on the quiet interplay of colour and form. Take that white, boomerang-like shape hovering above the figures, for example. Is it an object, or is it a thought? Its starkness emphasizes the dreamlike mood, pulling you into its quiet, contemplative atmosphere. There is a connection with work of Giorgio de Chirico. In both cases, the paintings aren’t necessarily about what they depict, but how they make us feel and think. And isn’t that what art is all about?