Woman Painter 1934

Istvan Ilosvai Varga made this painting of a painter, sometime in the mid 20th Century, presumably in oil paint. I’m drawn to the painting's directness; the way the colours are laid down in thick strokes. It's clear Varga is thinking about artmaking as a process of seeing and responding, rather than aiming for photographic realism. Look at the way the blue of the painter’s dress contrasts with the yellow light behind the model, and the juicy, almost sculptural quality of the paint itself. It feels like Varga is really relishing the materiality of his medium. The painting on the easel appears so unresolved, more a suggestion of form than a detailed likeness. This might remind you of some of Picasso’s paintings of artists and models, where the act of creation is as important as the finished artwork. Ultimately, ‘Woman Painter’ celebrates the ambiguity of art, embracing the multiple interpretations and the ongoing conversation between artists across time.