Scatola rossa con astuccio per occhiali 1923

Julius Bissier made this painting, Scatola rossa con astuccio per occhiali, using oil on canvas with a tight colour palette. It’s all about the process, right? Notice how Bissier builds up layers to give the painting a certain depth. He’s not trying to fool you into thinking this is a real box. Instead, the thickness of the paint becomes part of the story. Look at the red box and how the paint is layered, creating subtle shifts in tone and texture. It's not just red; it’s a whole history of reds, each layer reacting with the one beneath. In some ways it reminds me of Giorgio Morandi with that intense focus on still life, and quiet and subdued colours. But there's also something deeply personal and a little mysterious here. Art isn't about answers; it's about the questions we ask along the way.