Big Hello to a Forest Nymph of Lucas Cranach 2010

Painted by Alexander Roitburd, Big Hello to a Forest Nymph of Lucas Cranach presents a scene in which a reclining nude is surrounded by a flurry of surreal imagery against a stark black background. The skin of the nymph is rendered with soft, blended brushstrokes, a contrast to the more graphic, linear elements floating around her. Look at the looping, neon-bright lines that seem to emanate from the figure and the birds that they encircle: they feel almost like ecstatic scribbles. The texture here is key: thin, expressive lines over the smooth flesh tones of the figure. This evokes a dreamlike quality. Roitburd’s painting reminds me of the work of Francis Picabia, who similarly blended classical figuration with modern abstraction. Both artists seem to be asking, can we embrace the weird and the beautiful all at once? "Big Hello" suggests that art is less about answers and more about the ongoing conversation between these elements.