Painter with Model 1934

Istvan Ilosvai Varga made this oil on canvas painting called ‘Painter with Model’ sometime in the 20th century. I can imagine him outside, in the studio’s garden perhaps, the air thick with the smell of grass, oil paint, and maybe some blooming flowers. He’s using these broad strokes, almost like he’s wrestling with the scene, trying to pin down the light, the shadows, the way the model is sitting. I wonder what she’s thinking, perched there on that yellow bench, maybe feeling a bit exposed but also part of the creative act. It is like a stage! The artist too is on show. And look at that sky! So, intense, it's as if the weather is changing and he must capture the scene quickly! You sense his urgency. It feels like Varga is in conversation with other painters, like Cezanne or early Picasso, but he’s also doing his own thing. Ultimately, this painting isn’t just about what we see, but how we see, and how that seeing is always shifting, always open to interpretation.