Illustration for V. Voiculescu's "Last Shakespearean Sonnets" 1982

Margareta Sterian made this illustration for V. Voiculescu's "Last Shakespearean Sonnets" using paint, probably oils, and a heck of a lot of feeling. It's all about process here, you can see how the marks build up, one on top of another, searching for a form, or perhaps just an atmosphere. Look at the way Sterian uses color - these aren't just descriptive hues, but emotional temperatures. The dominant reds and oranges are hot, maybe passionate, but they're tempered by cooler blues and yellows in the sky. The paint is applied in layers, sometimes thin and washy, sometimes with a thicker impasto that catches the light. The physicality of the medium is so present, you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the surface. Take a look at the lower part, where those scribbled white lines cut through the red - they're like whispered secrets, adding a layer of mystery. It reminds me a bit of Emil Nolde’s work, that same raw expressionism, that willingness to let the paint speak. But Sterian's got her own voice, a bit more lyrical, maybe. Art's just one big conversation, right? A messy, beautiful, never-ending exchange of ideas and emotions.