Girl with a Blue Scarf 1924

Gwen John probably painted this Girl with a Blue Scarf with oil on canvas sometime in the early 1920s. What strikes me here is the colour, a muted palette of grays and lavenders, with the barest hint of blue, and a creamy background. You can really see the artist building up these colours, stroke by stroke. Look at the girl's hands, clasped in front of her. See how they are rendered with a few, very simple daubs of paint, almost like a child's drawing? But then notice how much emotion is conveyed in that simplicity. The girl looks meek and introspective, quiet. There's a beautiful, almost melancholic mood here. It reminds me of other artists who captured this kind of everyday intimacy, like the Dutch Masters. John’s work is so much about subtlety, and it reminds us that art doesn't always need to shout to be heard. Instead, it can whisper and linger in our minds long after we've turned away.