Girl at a Table 1955

Charles Blackman made this painting, Girl at a Table, with what looks like oil on board. The dreamy palette is all muted greens and blues, like looking through old glass, and the marks are kind of clunky and awkward. You can sense Blackman figuring it out as he goes, letting the process steer the ship. There's a quietness, an almost melancholic mood in the way he layers these translucent colours. Look closely at the flowers, how they feel both present and fading away at the same time. It reminds me a bit of Bonnard, that sense of capturing a fleeting moment, but with a touch more… unease. I think he’s trying to show us something felt, something more than just what's seen. The girl's face is so simply rendered, yet it conveys such depth of feeling. It feels related to Paula Modersohn-Becker in its directness. Art isn’t just about what you paint but about what you leave unsaid.