Man with Hat and Woman with Black Scarf 1915

Lajos Gulacsy made this painting, Man with Hat and Woman with Black Scarf, with oil paint in an unknown year. It's all about mood and process, don’t you think? Gulacsy's letting the paint do its thing, not trying to smooth it over or hide the brushstrokes. It's like he's saying, "Hey, this is paint, and I'm here making a painting." The colors are muted, earthy, like they've been aged by time. Look closely, and you can see how Gulacsy layers the paint, building up texture and depth. There’s a certain honesty to that, a rawness. Notice the way the light catches the edge of the man's hat, that single stroke of purple. It's a small detail, but it brings the whole thing to life. You can sense the touch, the hand, the person behind the painting. This reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker; both were interested in depicting interior states through the language of portraiture. For me, that’s what painting is all about.