Vajda Lajos Anna Margit Portré 1930, Ceruza Papír, 33x31.5cm 1930

Vajda Lajos made this portrait of Anna Margit in 1930 using pencil on paper. It is so direct, the way that Lajos has approached the task of describing this face, you get the feeling that he is discovering it as he goes. There is such clarity and precision in the rendering of the face, but then, in contrast, the sweater is rendered as a mass of marks. Notice how the strokes move in every direction, building up an almost sculptural surface that reads as both form and texture. This area becomes a kind of energetic abstraction when you zoom in. And this effect is amplified by the little blue flash of the brooch. It reminds me of the way that Picasso could bring together different approaches to image making within the same picture. This piece shows the ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. It is open for multiple interpretations over fixed or definitive meanings.