Portrait of Juliusz Kossak 1899

Józef Mehoffer painted this portrait of Juliusz Kossak using oil on canvas. Look closely, and you will see the texture of the paint, energetically applied. The visible brushstrokes capture the likeness of the sitter, but also convey a sense of the artist's active hand. This was a conscious choice: Mehoffer wasn't just trying to create a smooth illusion. The quick, gestural marks, especially in the background, suggest the influence of Impressionism, a movement that celebrated the artist's immediate experience of the world. Oil paint, of course, was an industrial product by the late 19th century, readily available in tubes. This allowed artists to work more spontaneously, both in the studio and "en plein air," directly in nature. The materiality of the paint itself – its viscosity, its capacity for layering – became a central part of the artistic statement. So, consider how the humble materials of canvas and oil paint can, in the hands of a skilled artist, become a powerful means of expression, reflecting not only the subject, but also the artist's own creative process.