Two naked women and still life 1935

Andre Derain made ‘Two Naked Women and Still Life’ with oil on canvas, and when you look at it you can see Derain is working it out as he goes along. It's like he’s thinking with the paint. The ochres and earth tones give it a kind of ancient feel, but then there’s something so modern about the way the paint is applied. Look at the way the light hits the shoulder of the figure on the left - so juicy, and sculptural. It’s like he’s wrestling with the form, trying to bring it into being. The texture is palpable, you can almost feel the grain of the canvas beneath the layers of paint. Derain reminds me a little of Courbet, that same earthy sensuality. But there's also a boldness in the way he simplifies form that feels very forward-looking. It’s like he’s saying, 'This is painting, I'm not trying to trick you, I'm just showing you what it can do.'