Princess Aristizza Ghyka 1918

George Demetrescu Mirea, an artist from Romania, painted Princess Aristizza Ghyka in oils probably sometime in the early 20th century. You can almost feel the brushstrokes, thick and deliberate, building up the form of the princess and the shadows that engulf her. I can imagine Mirea in his studio, carefully mixing shades of ochre, black, and white to capture the Princess's likeness. Did he struggle to capture the soft glow of her white dress against the dark background? I know that struggle! Look at the way he uses the paint to suggest the folds of her gown, it’s almost as if the fabric is breathing. There's a real sense of movement and life in those strokes. It reminds me a little of Whistler's portraits, or even Manet, where the subject emerges from a sea of brushstrokes. Artists are always learning from each other, aren't they? We are just splashing around in the great big pool of painting! Every brushstroke a conversation, every painting a question.