Head of a boy in a hat 1921

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting of a boy in a hat, sometime in the early 20th century, with thick strokes of oil paint. Imagine the artist, maybe a bit like a kid himself, tentatively layering colors like yellows, oranges, and reds. It’s almost like he's building up the form through feeling, through color, through these raw, expressive marks. And the hat—it’s not just sitting there, it's part of the whole swirling energy of the painting, like an extension of the boy’s thoughts, like a warm sunset. Look at the way those strokes curve and blend; you can see how he’s nudging the paint around, figuring out where the light catches, where the shadows play. This kid feels both present and like a figment of the imagination. It reminds me that painting isn't just about seeing, it’s about sensing the world around you and translating that into something new.