Nu de Profil 1936 - 1938

Georges Rouault made this artwork, "Nu de Profil," with broad strokes of ink and watercolor washes. The colors are muted and earthen, yet vibrant. I imagine Rouault hunched over this piece, his brow furrowed in concentration. He’s trying to get something down, a feeling, not just a figure. Look at the way the black ink defines the curves of the body. It’s almost brutal, but there's a tenderness too, in the way the brush lingers. You can feel the weight of the body, the slump of the shoulders, as if Rouault is saying something about the human condition. His mark-making reminds me of other expressionist painters like Emil Nolde, who used color and form to convey intense emotional states. And like them, he reminds us that painting is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. It embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings.