Hiver 1950

Alfred Manessier built up this painting with dark and light contrasts, a series of gestural marks and colour fields that have emerged through many layers of trial and error. I love the way the shapes seem to suggest a winter landscape, and I can imagine Manessier in his studio, trying to figure out how to conjure the feeling of winter using just color and form. There is so much black here, contrasted with touches of orange, green and yellow - really setting the mood. The paint looks thin in places, allowing the layers to peek through, like memories flickering beneath the surface. It reminds me of the work of other mid-century painters, like Patrick Heron, who were also exploring the relationship between color and emotion. That thick black line near the middle feels so decisive, almost angry, but then it's softened by the pale whites around it. The process of painting is an ongoing conversation, isn’t it? A kind of call and response, and Manessier is definitely in conversation with us.