Etude 1960

Petros Malayan made this painting, ‘Etude’, at some point during his lifetime, with oil on canvas. It’s a portrait, of course, and it feels like we’re catching a glimpse of a private moment. The paint is applied with these loose, confident strokes, especially in the background, all these buttery daubs of color. But then you look closer, and there's this real attention to detail, like in the way the light catches the sitter’s face. The physicality of the medium is not hidden, it's celebrated. I love how the darkness of the clothing almost swallows her up, but then there's this subtle green in the lower portion that feels like a little spark of hope. It puts me in mind of Alice Neel; both painters find a way to capture something essential about their subjects, something that goes beyond just a likeness. With a dash of colour, and a confident stroke, a new conversation is started.