Portrait of painter's wife 1917

George Bouzianis made this “Portrait of painter's wife” using oil paint, though I couldn’t tell you when exactly! The way Bouzianis applies paint here is so gestural, as though he's wrestling with his feelings as much as the form of her face. I love how the paint has been dragged wet-into-wet, look at the strokes around her temple, creating these blurred, indeterminate areas. You can see similar techniques in the work of Lovis Corinth, another painter who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. The color palette feels so intimate, with this mix of pinks, grays, and browns. The mouth looks almost like a wound, a burst of raw, emotional exposure. It’s like the painting itself is breathing, and she is too. For me, this kind of painting is about allowing for a little chaos, trusting the process, and letting the unexpected emerge.