L’atelier 1960

Bruno Cassinari made this oil painting, L’atelier, probably sometime in the mid-20th century. It’s all darks and lights and slashes, so the scene barely hangs together. I love the way he’s built it all up with such loosey-goosey marks, like a painter's version of jazz. It’s called ‘The Studio,’ so you can imagine him, can’t you? Cassinari, in his atelier, cigarette in mouth, fueled by coffee. The way he lays down those strokes, thick and juicy, feels both urgent and relaxed. What was he thinking? Maybe he’s channeling a figure in the foreground, another in the background, almost dissolving into the painting itself. And that color palette! Dark greens, blues, and reds, grounded by black. Each dab of paint, a little explosion of feeling, intention, meaning. You can see he’s been looking at other artists. It all comes from somewhere, right? Painting is like an ongoing conversation between artists across time. They are all riffing off each other's ideas.