Bed 

Look familiar? 🛌💤 The Polish contemporary artist Iwo Zaniewski (b. 1956) combines techniques of traditional oil painting with everyday domestic scenes to evoke a relaxed familiarity. His work celebrates the ordinary and provides a sense of comfort that’s fitting for a slow morning. In Bed (2007), Zaniewski depicts a faceless girl asleep under the covers. The lack of specific facial detail allows her to be universally representative: the viewer can see themselves in the relatable scene. Here, the artist has applied thick and streaky brushstrokes that are suggestive of Impressionism. Unlike the delicate pastel shades associated with Impressionist painting, however, he uses a vibrant palette of primary colours. The girl’s black hair contrasts boldly against the white of the bed linen. Her blanket drapes to the floor, giving a sense that she is completely enveloped in sleep. Undisturbed, she rests peacefully. Zaniewski was included in Art on a Postcard’s November 2024 auction, which celebrated the tenth anniversary of the fundraising foundation. Exhibited online and in London’s Gathering Gallery, the auction was organised in support of The Hepatitis C Trust. The artist also works on identifying scientific explanations for the aesthetic appeal of particular paintings. How is an impression of harmony created in the composition of Bed? Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham