The Sacred Heart of Jesus 1911

Józef Mehoffer made this ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’ with what looks like watercolour, and maybe some gouache and ink too. I love that the image feels so flat but also so lively. The way the colour is layered, the red of Jesus’ robes over the background washes, gives a real sense of depth. The application of paint is interesting. It's thin in some areas, allowing the paper to show through, but then thick and opaque in others, especially around the heart itself, where the white highlights add a kind of shimmering light. Notice how the roses at the bottom are just loose washes of color, while Jesus’s face is so carefully rendered. Mehoffer seems to be playing with contrasts, between control and spontaneity, maybe a little like Odilon Redon, who also embraced dreams and visions in his work. For me, this piece is all about how images can be both grounded and otherworldly at the same time, embracing multiple ways of seeing.