Railwaymen 1930

Tadeusz Makowski made this oil on canvas painting called Railwaymen, and it’s got a real folk art vibe. Look how he builds up the figures with these chunky, geometric shapes and earthy colors – it’s like he’s carving them right out of the canvas! I’m drawn to the way Makowski handles paint here. It's thick, almost sculptural in places, giving the whole composition a tactile quality. And the way he models the faces, especially that central figure with the big star, it's so upfront and confident. You get the sense he's not trying to hide anything. It’s about the process, about putting the paint down and letting the forms emerge. These aren’t fancy society types, but these working stiffs feel monumental, don't they? There's something about the directness and simplicity that reminds me of early Picasso, where he was also breaking down forms to get at something essential. It’s almost like art is this ongoing conversation where everyone is asking, “How do we see, really see, the world around us?”