Fisherman among Rocks 1906

This is *Fisherman among Rocks* by Niko Pirosmani, and it’s currently hanging out in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Look at the way Pirosmani put this together, all that careful deliberation with the dark rocks on either side, framing the fisherman. He’s standing in the water holding his catch, a proud look on his face. I wonder if Pirosmani was thinking about the everyday dignity of labor. The thing that really gets me going is the limited palette – how he makes these colors sing. This guy was playing with the basic chords of painting, trusting his gut, and wasn’t trying to be overly clever or virtuosic. You know, painting isn't about showing off, but about getting at something essential. And Niko did that. The spirit of his work feels timeless, and kind of reminds me of other artists who worked outside the mainstream. They're all in conversation, trading secrets across generations.