A Anna 1959

Jean Bertholle made "A Anna" with, what looks like, big sweeping brushstrokes, and a real sense of process. The colors are so vibrant. It’s as if the painting is documenting a feeling more than a scene. There is something wonderfully direct about the application of paint; you can almost see the movement of the artist’s hand across the canvas. Look at the layering of greens and blues, how they create a sense of depth and movement. Then those slashes of black and orange cutting through the composition, providing a grounding element and a jolt of energy. It feels like an emotional landscape where the colors are heightened and the forms are abstracted to convey an inner state. Bertholle's approach reminds me of Joan Mitchell, in the way both artists used color and gesture to express intense emotion, though Bertholle's palette feels a little more grounded. What do you see? It’s a conversation, this painting, an ongoing exchange between the artist, the artwork, and us.