Dziewczynka w kapeluszu 1928

Tadeusz Makowski painted 'Girl in a Hat' with oils on canvas. He must have approached the canvas with earthy colors, ochre, brown, black, and blue, building up layers of paint to create the subject and the world around her. I imagine Makowski, brush in hand, stepping closer, then further away, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, searching to depict his sitter, his face a mask of concentration. Look how the paint sits on the surface. You can see the texture of the brushstrokes, each one a record of his touch. The girl's eyes stare ahead, two dark dots in the centre of her face, while a jagged nose interrupts the smooth surface of her cheek. The painting reminds me of others playing with the boundaries between figuration and abstraction, like Picasso or Braque. Artists are always in conversation, picking up on each other's ideas, pushing them further, and making them their own. Every brushstroke is like a thought, a feeling, a question. Paintings allow for multiple interpretations and meanings – a reflection on time, place, and artistic practice.