Muž s holí 1927

Josef Capek made this painting, Muž s holí, with oil paint, sometime before 1945. The limited palette of grays and browns gives this work a kind of solemn, serious vibe, and the way Capek models the figure feels both modern and ancient. Up close, you can see the paint is applied pretty smoothly, but there are some definite brushstrokes that catch the light. Notice how he rounds the shoulders of the figure with light and shadow, almost like a sculpture. The man's face is so simplified, just a few planes, but it still manages to convey a sense of dignity, or maybe even melancholy. And that walking stick, planted firmly on the ground, suggests resilience. It's this combination of simplified form and emotional depth that really grabs me. Capek and Picasso were definitely looking at each other's work at this time, so I think there's something of cubism in how Capek reduces everything down to these basic shapes, but there's also something very personal and human about it too. The man has a story.