Crucifixion 1943

Horace Pippin made this painting, "Crucifixion", with what looks like oil on canvas. It’s dark, really dark; it almost looks like it’s night. There are these amazing bright accents, though, like the small spots of red suggesting the blood. I find Pippin's work fascinating because it's so direct. The way he builds up the surface feels both primitive and incredibly sophisticated. Look at the way he renders the body of Christ: it's not idealized at all, but very human, very present. There's a rawness to the texture, a kind of unpolished quality, which only adds to the emotional weight of the image. It reminds me a bit of some early Gauguin, but Pippin's got his own thing going on. What I find so powerful is that he manages to convey so much with such simplicity. It’s a testament to the idea that art doesn’t need to be complicated to be deeply moving.