La dame au pompon 1946

Jean Dubuffet made this painting, La dame au pompon, with oil paint, and probably a palette knife, judging by the thick, crusty surface. He’s built up this strange figure, working and reworking the surface. I can imagine him, pushing the paint around, almost like he’s sculpting. I find myself wondering what Dubuffet was thinking as he daubed and scraped, building up this figure, making it so rough. You know, the colours are restrained, mainly browns and creams. But then he’s etched into it, like he’s drawing with his finger, giving the figure a kind of awkwardness and immediacy. I feel like I can see echoes of other painters here, maybe Guston’s late paintings, or even some of the early modernists. But I think what’s fascinating is how this painting feels so visceral and raw, it reminds me of the power of artmaking, and the way artists keep speaking to each other across time.