Figural composition 1917

This Figural Composition was made by Zygmunt Waliszewski using watercolor. The way he's built this image is like drawing with washes of color. I love the way the pigment pools at the edges of the forms, like the red outlining the chest. The rest of the body is loosely sketched with thin, watery paint. The colors are intense, reds, blues, and yellows, with a touch of brown in the lower figure. These hues feel raw, almost visceral. Notice how the paint is drippy and uneven, especially in the headpiece of the standing figure. It's like he's letting the water do its thing, creating these unpredictable blooms and bleeds. That pooling creates depth and texture. Waliszewski reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley in his use of bold color and simplified forms. But there's also something uniquely personal and unpolished about his approach. He embraces the accidents and imperfections, leaving space for the viewer to fill in the gaps.