In front of a mirror 1937 - 1938

Mikuláš Galanda painted “In front of a mirror” with oil paint and a kind of direct, graphic approach. The way the artist used paint is interesting; it’s neither trying to hide the hand nor trying to show off some crazy technique. The colours are blocked in, but you can see the different layers, like underpainting and visible outlines. I love how a few simple, sensual marks suggest the nipples, like commas or musical notes, floating at the bottom of this towering figure. There is something very knowing and playful about the way the body is rendered here; it's not just a literal transcription of the way things look, but an idea about form itself. Galanda's work reminds me a bit of Picasso, who was also interested in challenging traditional ways of seeing and representing the body. And this piece embodies the spirit of modernism, the idea that art should be about exploring new forms of expression.