Sketches of Figures 1925

Olga Boznanska made this sketch of figures, we're not sure when, and you can see how she's feeling her way into the image, figuring it out as she goes. Look at the way she's layered the paint, thin washes over thicker strokes, like she's building up the image bit by bit. It's all about the process, the doing of it, you know? There's a looseness here, an ambiguity that's really appealing. The brown paint dominates, but within that limited palette, she finds so much variation. It's like she's pulling these figures out of the earth. There’s one small area, that little flash of green that just makes the painting come alive. It reminds me a bit of Vuillard, that sense of intimacy, of capturing a moment. But Boznanska has her own voice, her own way of seeing. Ultimately, art’s about opening up possibilities, not closing them down.