Orange Vendor, Spain 1916

Natalia Goncharova painted “Orange Vendor, Spain” with oils, laying down planes of colour. The blue is so blue it almost vibrates, set against the green and yellow. I wonder what it was like to stand in front of this canvas as it was being made? I imagine Goncharova thinking through the relationships of colour, each shade and hue affecting what's next to it. The painting seems to emerge through trial, error, and intuition. Look at the oranges balanced on top of the vendor’s head, echoed by the smaller basket near her feet. It's a conversation between shapes and colours, where each mark communicates feeling, intention, and meaning. I am reminded of other artists who have taken on similar motifs, like Matisse. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? A constant exchange of ideas across time, each inspiring the other's creativity. Painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.