Vajda Lajos Arcok Báránnyal 1937 1937

Vajda Lajos made this drawing called *Vajda Lajos Arcok Báránnyal* in 1937. I imagine him hunched over a small table, maybe in a cafe, with a pen in hand, trying to capture what he sees, and what he imagines. The artist lays down dark, searching lines that try to find the edges of things. There’s a face—or many faces—intertwined with a lamb. The animal seems to be peering out from within the human form, or maybe the other way around. What did it feel like to make this drawing? What was he trying to figure out, or work through? This drawing reminds me of Picasso, who was also interested in multiple perspectives and fractured forms. Like many artists, Vajda Lajos’s style speaks to the art that came before him, but also pushes in new directions. We continue to respond to each other's work across time, inspiring new forms and ideas. The act of painting becomes a conversation.