A Noite de Natal 1975

Jose Escada drew 'A Noite de Natal' with pen and ink, constructing a world on paper, one line at a time. Can you feel it? I can almost see Escada making this, a slow, deliberate build-up of lines, layer upon layer, creating a teeming universe within the king's robes. It's like a map of the mind or a densely packed city. I wonder if he felt like an architect, carefully planning each little squiggle and dot. The stark contrast between the solid black background and the intricate white lines gives it such a graphic punch, don't you think? I feel like I am peering into another dimension. The king, with his beer mug, seems to be both grounded and floating in this dreamy space. It makes me think about other artists like Madge Gill or Adolf Wölfli, who created these intensely detailed, personal worlds. There’s something so human about making marks, trying to make sense of the world, or maybe just escaping it for a while. That's the thing about painting, it’s an exchange across time, we all inspire each other in this ongoing conversation.