Self-portrait with a palette 1930

Tadeusz Makowski, a Polish artist, made this oil on canvas self-portrait with a palette sometime in the early 20th century. He favors a muted palette, allowing the composition and brushwork to guide our understanding. It’s as if he’s saying, “Here’s the structure, the feeling, now let the color be.” The physicality of the paint is evident in the short, choppy strokes that define the subjects and their surroundings. The way the light streaks downward, like divine intervention, with those hits of yellow, orange, and turquoise, it's almost as if the painting itself is a thought, not fully formed, still in the process of becoming. Look at the artist’s hands, folded in front of him, a symbol of contemplation and perhaps a nod to the act of painting itself. Thinking about other artists, someone like Chaim Soutine comes to mind, who used distorted forms and intense colors to express emotional turmoil. Makowski shows the power of understatement. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t need to shout to be heard.