The Artist's Wife and Baby 1937

David Bomberg made this painting, "The Artist's Wife and Baby," with oil on canvas. The way Bomberg applies paint is really exciting. It’s thick, sculptural, and almost violent, but also tender. Look at the blues he’s using. They're not just blue, they are full of grey and green which is how you make blue sing. The brushstrokes are visible, creating a textured surface, and the forms emerge from these blocks of colour. It's like he's building the image rather than just depicting it. I love how the red in the baby's blanket jars with the blue. These hues push against each other and this creates movement. The tension in the colours gives the work its power. Bomberg’s emphasis on process reminds me of some of the later work by Frank Auerbach, where the paint becomes almost like a living substance, embodying the energy of the artist. Art is like a conversation. It's about how we keep looking and finding new ways of seeing.