Dama Con Papagayo 1930

José Garnelo created 'Dama Con Papagayo' with oil on canvas sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. I can imagine Garnelo laying in those broad strokes of light, the way they gleam on the woman's peach. I bet he knew that the contrast against the dark background would make her skin glow, and how the blue of that parrot would just *pop*. The brushwork is so sure, like he knew exactly what he wanted to capture. Maybe he was thinking about Goya or some other old master while he worked. I wonder if he realized that he was participating in the long history of painting, adding his voice to the chorus? When I look at art I always wonder how each artist informs the next. What is the conversation they might have had, what did they agree on, what would they have argued about? Painting is this ongoing experiment, a way of seeing and feeling and thinking all at once. I love that!