Retrato de Camões 1981

Jose de Guimaraes created this painting titled Retrato de Camões with flat shapes and bold colours. I imagine him, like me, building the image up, letting it emerge through trial and error. I sympathize with the artist. What was he thinking when he added the eye patch? Does it hide something, or does it create a kind of fictional self? The paint looks thin, almost sprayed on, which gives it this unreal quality, heightening the cartoonish figure. I like the jagged collar that suggests theatre. And what about the bare feet? There's something of a jester or joker in the piece. Artists are always in conversation, picking up ideas from each other. I wonder if Guimaraes had Leger in mind when making this piece? It’s all part of a big exchange across time, where uncertainty allows for multiple interpretations and meanings, which is what makes painting so great!