Schonberg Family 1908

Richard Gerstl made this painting, 'Schonberg Family', with oil on canvas. The brushwork is so bold. It’s like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to capture something elusive, and it makes the whole image vibrate with energy. Up close, you can almost feel the texture of the paint – thick impasto in places, especially around the faces, and thinner washes in the background. Look at the little girl with the red bows; her face is built up with these assertive strokes of pink and yellow. It gives her a real presence, but it’s also unsettling, like a mask. The paint seems to be fighting against the act of representation. Gerstl was pushing against the boundaries of portraiture. You might think of someone like Kokoschka, who was also working in Vienna at this time, exploring the psychological depths of his subjects. But Gerstl's approach feels rawer, more visceral, like he’s trying to capture something beyond the surface. It's a reminder that art isn't about easy answers, but about embracing ambiguity and complexity.