Fisherman 1930

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting, Fisherman, with oil on canvas and it is an image built from humble rectangles. Look at how the forms emerge slowly, one on top of the other. It's the opposite of slick. The colour is earthy and modest but somehow optimistic. You can see how much the materiality of the paint contributes to the feeling of the piece. The surface is textural but also flat, you can imagine feeling the little bumps and ridges that come from the application of the paint. It’s like Makowski is inviting us into a world that's being built rather than just depicted, a world where things are solid, but also mutable, and a little bit like children's blocks. It's the kind of painting that feels like a conversation. It reminds me of Fernand Léger, but with a folksier, more intimate touch. These are paintings to live with and dream with.