Figur i landskap IV 1932

Sven Jonson’s ‘Figure in Landscape IV’ is a little jewel made with oil paint. It is all soft shapes, like memories. I love how the blues and creams come together. I can only imagine the artist working away, trying to get it just right. The figure is almost like a ghost in the machine. It reminds me of Léger and Picasso. You can see how he’s been playing with the picture plane, pushing the image, smudging it, and creating the scene, as if a dream. The paint is thin, which is not a bad thing, and the colors are just wonderful. The more you look, the more you notice those little shapes. Like music. Each one is a piece of the puzzle, which together create a kind of harmony. It's like a conversation. Jonson is talking to all those other painters. The painting comes to life. It has many ways of being read, and many ways of understanding the world, so it has something new to offer.