Viliam Scholtz 1914

This is Jozef Hanula’s portrait of Viliam Scholtz, painted in 1892. Looking at it, I imagine Jozef layering those dark tones, building up the form slowly, maybe even wiping away some of the wet paint to let the texture of the canvas come through. I wonder what Jozef was thinking as he painted Viliam's face. Did he see a strength of character in that profile, or maybe a hint of melancholy in the eyes behind those glasses? The way he captured the light on Viliam's face, it's like he's trying to reveal something deeper than just his physical appearance. The dark palette feels very serious, but there's something so alive and human about the way it’s been painted. Artists are always talking to each other across time, you know? I bet Jozef was in conversation with the great portrait painters of the past as he was working on this. And now, we're part of that conversation too, bringing our own interpretations to this painting, keeping the dialogue going.