Paysans 1936

Georges Rouault made this painting of peasants with thick black lines that grab your eye, like dark leading in stained glass. I can almost feel Rouault’s hand moving, wrestling with his dark feelings, applying those strokes with conviction. It’s like he’s carving them out of the darkness. What was he thinking? Maybe about the weight of poverty, the struggle of the working class. It is quite somber. Look at how the figures seem trapped, squeezed into this shallow space. See how he's used such simple means to convey so much? That’s the power of suggestion, the magic of paint. It's not slick or anything, but raw and very direct. Rouault has a very unique vision and his work stands apart, although I see shades of Daumier and even Goya in his work. There’s a conversation happening across time, artists riffing off each other, and that’s how art evolves. And, like life, it can be messy, unresolved, and still beautiful.