nude of a woman 1916

Kmetty János painted this nude of a woman, we don't know exactly when, but I'm interested in how he built up this figure, bit by bit. It's like he's searching for the right form, not afraid to let the process show. The colors, wow, they're not what you expect. It's all these muted greens and blues, almost like she's emerging from water or shadow. Look at the way the light hits her abs – it’s not about perfect realism, it’s about feeling the planes of her body. The brushstrokes are pretty visible and direct, especially in the towel she's holding, where the paint is thick and kind of chunky. Those stripes of white and blue make me think of Cezanne and his bathers, though Kmetty's got a different kind of energy. It’s so direct, a real presence. I’m struck by how this piece embraces a search, rather than landing on one answer. It reminds us that art's an open-ended conversation, always in process.