Judith 1930

Marie Laurencin made this painting, Judith, in 1930, using oil on canvas. I can only imagine the dance she had with this painting, building up the ghostly white skin with delicate brushstrokes. The way the figures emerge softly out of the grey background suggests an ethereal presence. I wonder what Laurencin was thinking when she was making it, or, better yet, what she was feeling. Maybe she was conjuring a dream, or trying to remember one. See how the delicate touches of rose, blue and green in the headdress suggest life and color. But it's the flatness of the figures that strikes me. The way the breasts are barely modelled, the faces smooth and blank. This is a very particular way of seeing, an attempt to capture an essence, rather than a likeness. It reminds me a little of Matisse, but with a softer, more feminine touch. You can sense the conversation between painters happening, an ongoing exchange of ideas and inspiration across time.