Harry Graf Kessler 1906

Edvard Munch painted this portrait of Harry Graf Kessler, we think around the turn of the century, with oils. And what strikes me right away is the immediacy of it, how you can sense Munch figuring it out as he goes. Look at the way he lays down the paint, especially in the figure's suit. You can see the brushstrokes, the drips, the way the colors blend and bleed into each other, like he's trying to capture not just Kessler's likeness, but something more elusive, like his essence or mood. The paint handling is so loose and free, really going for it; this purple-black that also isn't really black when you get up close. You can almost feel Munch's hand moving across the canvas, making decisions in real time. It reminds me of some of Manet's portraits, or even some of the early Expressionists, who were also trying to capture something beyond the surface of things. Ultimately, it's this sense of searching and experimentation that makes the painting so compelling. It feels alive, unresolved, like a conversation that's still unfolding.