Procession 1913

Charles Cottet made this painting, Procession, with oils on canvas. Look at the faces of the women in their white bonnets. Cottet has used visible brushstrokes, layering the paint to capture the textures of their faces. It feels like he’s inviting us to consider art-making as a process. The paint is applied in thick impasto in the women’s headscarves, contrasting with the thin paint of the background and the central Madonna figure. The texture is palpable, almost sculptural. But look at the hands of the women, painted in mottled browns. These earthy, grounded tones resonate with the overall somber mood. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s paintings, which also captured the lives of rural women. Like her, Cottet embraces the materiality of paint. He turns it into a form of quiet storytelling, inviting reflection rather than imposing a singular view. It’s this quality that makes the painting stay with you.