Rifleman and head 1920

Curator: Tadeusz Makowski’s painting, “Rifleman and Head,” dating from 1920... well, it throws you right in, doesn’t it? I see expressionistic brushstrokes clashing on a raw surface, is it board or paper? It almost looks like a preliminary sketch, but feels so complete on its own. What are your first impressions? Editor: The raw surface and those impulsive strokes communicate the intense emotions and raw reality of conflict in early 20th century Europe. There’s an unfinished quality that’s quite potent. The visual impact of its disjointed and fragmented forms mirrors a world grappling with the aftermath of war. Curator: Disjointed, yes! And those figures almost seem like they are emerging from the chaos, maybe a head floating beside this imposing rifleman. Is it portraiture dissolving into abstraction? Editor: Makowski produced this in the direct aftermath of the First World War. Reflecting on the portraiture conventions through an avant-garde lens serves as a powerful commentary on how warfare affected the individual and collective consciousness. Traditional portraits emphasize status and identity, whereas this artwork shows them unravelling. Curator: I imagine Makowski, caught up in that storm, distilling something vital about human resilience or maybe just how fragile the threads holding us together really are. Look at the rifleman's confident stance then at that vulnerable, almost dissolving, face beside him. Editor: Absolutely, the rifleman is more than just a soldier; he's a symbol of societal forces reshaping identity, gender and class through wartime propaganda and trauma. By deconstructing and presenting them through jarring colours and distorted forms, Makowski challenges viewers to think critically about the reality of social constructs in the modern era. Curator: Makowski's world, though— it's one where dreams tangle with nightmares, where you grab at meaning while everything is rushing past. So, powerful for me, like a jolt awake. Editor: Indeed, It is an image that speaks to both the physical and psychological landscape of the modern world, a pertinent reminder of our past and present conflicts.