Mexican Shawl 1938

Wyndham Lewis gave us 'Mexican Shawl,' a painting with a muted palette, maybe oil on canvas, sometime in the last century. The forms are simplified, almost geometric, and the colors are earthy – tans and browns, punctuated by the brighter, more vibrant shawl. There’s a kind of detachment in the way the paint is applied. It's not about blending or creating a super-smooth surface. Instead, you see the strokes, the process. Look at the way Lewis paints the oranges in the bowl, each one a little globe of thick, almost sculptural paint. And the folds of the shawl, how they move across the figure’s body, creating these dynamic stripes of red and green. It’s a painting that feels constructed, like a stage set. It reminds me of someone like Derain, or even Léger, with that slightly flattened perspective and interest in the underlying structure of things. Like them, Lewis is exploring how we see, how we make sense of the world through shapes and colors. It is a visual conversation and an ambiguity that invites you to pause and consider your own perspective.