Reproductie van een schilderij van de overdekte markt Carreau du Temple door José Jiménez y Aranda before 1901

This reproduction shows José Jiménez y Aranda's painting of the Carreau du Temple market. Even in reproduction the painting style reveals the artist’s process. Although it's printed in black and white, you can tell that the painting is all about the layering of marks and forms to build up a complex scene. It reminds me of what Philip Guston said about not knowing what he was doing until he saw it. You can almost feel the artist figuring it out, stroke by stroke. The figures are particularly interesting. They're not sharply defined, but rather emerge from a haze of marks. The details aren't as important as the overall impression. There's a real generosity to it. Each stroke feels like a discovery, a new way of seeing the world. It's like he’s having a conversation with himself. This idea of art as a conversation really resonates with me. Like, think of how Manet borrowed from the old masters, or how Picasso riffed on Velázquez. Each artist builds on what came before, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.