Chinese Beauty 1935

Paul Jacoulet made this woodblock print, "Chinese Beauty," and the colours create an atmosphere that's both soft and deliberate. You can really sense a dedication to the craft of printmaking when you look at it. There’s such a gentle layering in her lilac robe, and you can see the careful placement of each butterfly. They give texture, a kind of vibration, that makes you want to touch the surface. The thinness of the lines defining the flower petals, and the way the pink of her nails matches the accents in the blooms behind her is such a subtle touch! Then, the black of her hair and the red of her earrings really anchor the piece. It reminds me a little of Matisse, with its sensitivity to colour relationships, and how shapes sit next to each other to create a whole. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art-making is a conversation, and that each artist brings something unique to the dialogue.