Girl knitting 1901

Anders Zorn painted this girl knitting sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, in oil on canvas. There’s a real generosity in the handling of the paint here, Zorn’s brushstrokes dance across the surface, capturing the light as it falls on the girl's face and clothes. The red yarn becomes a focal point, a burst of energy in the otherwise muted palette, but it's the way he uses color to model form. It's like he's sculpting with light and shadow. Look at the way he defines the folds in her skirt, or the soft curve of her cheek. There are no hard edges, everything seems to blend and flow. This gives the painting a sense of immediacy, as if we're catching a glimpse of a fleeting moment in time. You know, in some ways he reminds me of Manet. That same interest in capturing the here and now, and that same painterly touch. Art is always in conversation. It's not about answers, but about keeping the conversation going.