Kalinka and Stanka 1932

Dobri Dobrev painted "Kalinka and Stanka", but we don’t know exactly when. The brushwork is direct, confident. Dobrev wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing, and you can see how each stroke builds up the forms of the figures. I'm drawn to the way the light catches the folds of Kalinka's headscarf. It's a little messy, not too precious, but that's what makes it so real. The red and orange tones seem to vibrate against the darker colours of her dress, creating a subtle tension in the composition. You can see similar colours reappearing in the flower pot to the right. It reminds me of someone like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also painted unsentimental portraits of rural women. Both artists embraced the beauty of everyday life, finding poetry in the ordinary. And isn't that what art is all about?