Porträtkopf Kronprinz Rupprecht von Bayern 1939

Karl Anton Reichel painted this striking portrait of Crown Prince Rupprecht von Bayern with oil paint, at a time we don't know. The layers of color are applied in such a way that you can see the process itself, almost like the painting is still in the midst of becoming. The texture of the paint is wonderfully apparent, especially in the background which is built up from warm, earthy hues. You can almost feel the ridges and valleys created by the brushstrokes, each one adding to the overall sense of depth and movement. And then there’s that burst of magenta! It's like a little visual earthquake in the middle of the painting. The treatment of form is so interesting, like a meeting of symbolist and expressionist ideas. You might compare it to someone like Odilon Redon, who was also interested in evoking dreamlike imagery. This painting feels like an invitation to embrace ambiguity and find your own personal connection to it.