Mirmande jaune 1956

André Lhote made "Mirmande jaune" with what looks like oil paint, though the surface has a kind of matte quality. It feels like he's juggling the structure of cubism with a love for landscape, using these bold yellows and greens. The way Lhote handles paint here is interesting. It's not about hiding the process; you can see the strokes, the layers, the way the colors interact. I’m drawn to that almost architectural block of yellow. The squiggles of exposed canvas almost seem to mimic the rough texture of stone or plaster. He’s really pushing the boundaries of representation while still letting the materials speak for themselves. It reminds me a little of Cezanne, who was also obsessed with the underlying structure of what he was seeing. Except Lhote gives it this added jolt of color, like he's turning up the volume on the whole scene. Art is like a big conversation across time, right?