Uncle Piacsek dresser in front of the black. 1906

Jozsef Rippl-Ronai made this painting of his Uncle Piacsek in front of the black with oil paints, though I am unsure when. The composition, with its muted palette and expressive brushwork, feels very much about the act of seeing and representing the world. The thick texture, built up with layers of opaque paint, gives the scene a tactile quality. I'm drawn to the way Rippl-Ronai uses these reds and yellows, there's a tension between the surface and the depth of the picture. Look closely at the edges of the dark figure on the left; the brushwork is so direct, and the paint so raw, it's like he is trying to capture a fleeting moment, an emotional state, rather than a perfect likeness. This interest in the psychological and emotional complexity of the human experience reminds me of Van Gogh. Like Van Gogh, Rippl-Ronai seems less interested in formal perfection than in conveying something essential about the human condition. Ultimately, the beauty of this piece lies in its ability to embrace ambiguity.