Man in een schildersatelier c. 1900 - 1910

This image, 'Man in een schildersatelier', shows a man in his studio, painting. It’s like catching a glimpse of the artist mid-process, a moment of creation frozen in time. The greyscale tones are layered, thick with atmosphere. Look at the backdrop, the painting on the wall behind him, it’s a flurry of marks. What do you make of that? It’s like a palimpsest, where the artist has layered different images on top of one another. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s smeared paintings, where process becomes visible, almost like a conversation with the painting. That open door over on the right side feels like a way out, into another world. Or maybe a way in? Art always asks us questions, it resists simple explanations, and maybe that’s the point.