La luronne 1930

François Barraud made this painting, La luronne, using oils, probably in a studio in Switzerland. He’s taken his time with it, working in layers, patiently building up the tones of the model’s skin. I wonder if he knew her well, or if she was a professional model. The way she’s pausing to pull up her stocking feels very private. It’s tenderly done, not overtly sexual, but there’s an intimacy that comes from the close observation. I love the details he’s included. The way the light catches the folds in her headscarf, the slight curve of her spine as she leans forward, the worn texture of the stool she’s using. It’s all so carefully rendered. Painters like Barraud were clearly looking at the Old Masters. It feels like a conversation across time and styles. When I look at this I think about the way we all borrow from each other, how one painting can spark a whole new way of seeing. Painting isn’t just about representation, it’s about feeling, about being present in the act of looking and making, and in that process, finding something new.