Woman Seated on Sofa in Interior 1912 - 1914

Frederick Carl Frieseke painted “Woman Seated on Sofa in Interior” with oils, and it’s awash with the kind of brushstrokes that suggest artmaking is a dance more than a diagram. I’m really drawn to the way Frieseke uses pink – a candy floss chaise lounge set against a roseate rug, it's almost sickly sweet. It's as if the whole scene is viewed through rose tinted glasses. Look closely, and you see that Frieseke lays down paint with a confident touch, yet the canvas isn't overwhelmed. The brushstrokes are present, yes, but they’re not fighting for attention. Notice how the light dapples the scene, creating these lovely blurred areas that make it feel soft and dreamlike, and how he doesn’t worry too much about hard lines or perfect details. Frieseke probably knew the work of Pierre Bonnard, who was similarly drawn to these indoor scenes and intimate moments. Both artists remind us that painting isn't about capturing reality as much as it is about capturing a feeling.