Woman with a Fan (Lunia Czechowska) 1919

This is Amedeo Modigliani's 'Woman with a Fan (Lunia Czechowska)', painted with oils, and it's all about how the painting happens. Look at the way Modigliani's playing with that striking red background, not flat, but alive with brushstrokes, setting the stage for the ochre and yellow of her dress. It's like he’s carving her out of the space itself. There's something so raw and immediate about the paint, thin in places, just stained onto the canvas, and thick in others, especially around the edges of the forms. It gives you a sense of his hand, the speed and the surety of the gesture. Notice that line of red that travels the length of the painting to the right of the figure. I love how it grounds the work, and pulls your eyes to the artist’s signature. Modigliani reminds me of artists like Chaim Soutine, who use paint in a similar way, as a way of both describing the world and building it anew. Art isn't about fixed meanings, it's a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time.