Weib c. 1929

Karl Wiener made this painting, "Weib," with what looks like oil on canvas, and it's a head and shoulders portrait featuring a woman in a blue hat. Imagine Wiener, poised, staring intently, trying to figure out how to describe her face. Maybe he mixed cadmium yellow with a touch of white to capture the light hitting her cheekbones. The orange backdrop might have been an after-thought – that flat bold colour makes the painting fizz! I can imagine the way the bristles of his brush felt as he worked. What was he thinking as he painted? Did he know this woman? Maybe not. The slightly quizzical, knowing look in her eye is very captivating. Artists are always in conversation with one another, and painting helps us see and experience the world in new and unexpected ways.