The four Pierrots 1912

Albert Bloch made "The Four Pierrots" with oil on canvas using bold strokes, layering whites, reds, and greys. I can imagine him, squinting, trying to get the figures just so, pushing the paint around until it feels right. The seated figure, cloaked in grey, looks almost ashamed, hiding in the center. Is this the artist himself? Or just a mood, an emotion, captured in paint? The reds around the figures feels tense. Then there's the creamy white, which is more hopeful but the brush strokes are uneasy. What was Bloch thinking? Maybe about the theater, or loss, or maybe just the struggle to make something beautiful. The thick layers of paint give the piece a real sense of depth. It’s like he’s building up not just the image but the feelings too. It reminds me of other expressionists, those who weren't afraid to show their emotions on the canvas. Artists are always talking to each other, across time, borrowing and building on each other’s ideas, you know? Ultimately, painting is about expression, and the best stuff leaves room for us to bring our own feelings to it.