Meduza II 1904

Józef Mehoffer made this small portrait, Meduza II, with oil on cardboard, and I love how intimate it feels. I think he's exploring something about the performative aspects of painting, and how you work with an idea or person, not just 'copying' it. The brushwork in the background, those warm hues against the black, is so full of energy. It's like Mehoffer is letting us see the painting come into being, not just presenting a finished image. And the color palette, those rich reds and golds against the dark fur, it's like a conversation, a visual push and pull. It feels so good and I want to get inside the feeling of it. Thinking about the physicality of the paint, especially in the face, I imagine him building up layers, scraping back, letting the surface tell its own story. You can almost feel the pressure of his hand, the give-and-take between artist and material. This makes me think of Klimt’s portraits, the way he combined realistic depictions with abstract patterns and decorative elements. Art is just one big conversation across time.