Cuore (Portrait d'Edmundo d'Amicis) 1962

Eduardo Arroyo painted this arresting portrait, Cuore, in 1962, with what looks like oil on canvas. The color palette is limited: primarily pink, black, and white, with touches of yellow, red, and green. It's the kind of approach where the process feels visible, like you could almost see the artist making decisions, changing their mind, right there on the canvas. The paint quality is pretty juicy in places, especially around the heart and the face, but elsewhere it's much thinner, almost like a wash. The pink background feels flat but it is bisected by an Italian flag on either side of the central figure. The heart, held almost reverentially by the figure, is rendered with a rawness that is, dare I say, touching. The way Arroyo handles the paint makes the figure appear vulnerable, almost childlike, despite the somber black suit. Thinking about other artists, I am reminded of Picabia, with the bluntness and sense of immediacy. But, where Picabia is detached, Arroyo feels heartfelt. It’s a poignant reminder that art is always a conversation, an ongoing dialogue across time and space, full of many, many interpretations.