Jaroslava and Jiri, the Artist's Children 1919

Alphonse Mucha made this square, intimate painting of his two children, Jaroslava and Jiri, using oil on canvas. I can see him carefully building up the forms, layer by layer, searching for their likeness. Look at how tenderly their faces are rendered. I wonder how long they sat still for him? He catches them in a quiet moment, surrounded by a flurry of domestic objects and details - a doll, a toy horse, a vase of flowers. I imagine Mucha trying to capture something of their youthful essence but also struggling with the surface of the canvas, knowing when to stop. Like, is it ever really finished? Mucha was part of a generation of artists who were pushing the boundaries of representation, exploring new ways of seeing and being in the world. I like this. It reminds me that painting is a conversation, it's about trying things out, and we can learn from each other's attempts and failures across time.