Alphons Grandmont, slapend in bed 1892 - 1913

Bramine Hubrecht made this drawing of Alphons Grandmont asleep in bed with what looks like watercolour washes. Hubrecht's approach to mark making, particularly the way the washes of colour flow and blend together, shows the artmaking process itself. The material aspects, the texture, the colour, and the surface all shape our emotional experience. The paint is thin, transparent, the paper shows through. It's hard to tell what tools she might have used to make this, but the process feels very intuitive, not concealed at all. Look at the dark marks around his face, the way the darkness defines his features. It's almost like a Rorschach test, where the blots of ink create a form. You know who this reminds me of? Manet. This feels like a conversation with Manet's quick, fluid brushwork, but with a softer touch. Ultimately, art is all about this ongoing exchange of ideas, isn't it? Embracing ambiguity, leaving room for multiple interpretations.