Triple portrait 1933

Kazimir Malevich made this triple portrait with oil paints, and you can see how the paint is applied in separate touches that build the composition from the ground up. The brushstrokes are really distinct, and the color palette is limited to reds, yellows, blues, and blacks. I imagine Malevich standing in front of the canvas, squinting at his subjects. Did he begin with one face and then add another? Maybe he considered the relationship between them, not just visually but emotionally. Painting is often like that, building up layer upon layer, thought upon thought. And that bold red coat—it is a striking presence, isn’t it? Look how the black collar accentuates the redness. Painters, like Malevich, are always in conversation, even across different styles and eras. They experiment and build on one another's discoveries. Painting embraces doubt and multiple meanings, which means our understanding of a work can keep changing.