Café Josty 1917

Walter Gramatté’s 'Café Josty' is an undated painting made with what looks like oil on, perhaps, cardboard, maybe paper. I love the way Gramatté teases out the tonal variations using such a limited palette. The brushwork is incredibly direct, you can almost feel the speed and confidence of the application. Take a moment to really look at the layering within the window; thick daubs of light paint create an almost blinding contrast to the darker, more muted tones of the interior. It’s a beautiful balance between representation and abstraction, where the essence of the scene is captured with a kind of poetic brevity. It reminds me a little of Vuillard, in the way the domestic and the intimate are captured, but there is also something singular, and slightly unsettling, about Gramatté’s vision. Art's always a conversation, though, isn't it? Never a definitive statement.