Study of a nude 1912

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting of a nude with oil paint and an inquisitive eye. I see many tentative applications and pentimenti. Was he trying to capture the essence of the model, or was he also thinking about Cézanne? I can almost see Makowski there in the studio, stepping back from the easel, squinting, tilting his head. Look how the lines and shapes are not quite resolved, the forms roughly hewn with a dark palette. And yet, there’s a certain grace and vulnerability to it all. It feels deeply felt, like a conversation between artist and subject. He’s wrestling with form, trying to distill the human figure into something essential and timeless. I can see him working alongside Picasso, Braque and Derain, all trying to make sense of the world through painting, each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. It's like they were all having this conversation and exchanging ideas, challenging each other to see and feel things differently.