Untitled Possibly 1946

Judith Rothschild made this untitled painting on a black background, its surface alive with greys, pinks, yellows, and greens. I'm thinking about how this painting came into being, stroke by stroke, layer upon layer. I can imagine Rothschild standing before the canvas, brush in hand, deciding where to place each shape, each color. Did she begin with an underpainting, or did she dive right in? Maybe she started with a few bold strokes, then responded to those marks with more. The pink shape seems soft and yielding, while the grey and brown rectangles appear solid. The little burst of blue adds a pop of energy, like a tiny spark igniting the canvas. The surfaces are flat, yet full of feeling. It reminds me a little of Stuart Davis, but softer, more feminine somehow. It's a conversation, this painting, between Rothschild and all the other painters who came before her. And now, it's part of a bigger conversation that continues with us.