Portrait of Tadeusz Boy-żeleński 1907

Leon Wyczółkowski painted this portrait of Tadeusz Boy-żeleński, and the artist has used small, broken marks to build up the tonal range in the face and clothing. The background appears to have been scrubbed into the canvas with dark browns and greens. There’s something tender about the way the sitter’s head rests in his hand – he looks as if he is considering something deeply, or maybe he’s just a bit tired. It's pretty cool how Wyczółkowski has captured a likeness and also made a surface that is activated by paint. Look at the way that jacket is built up using directional strokes that also describe the fall of light. That dark mass of clothing really makes the face pop. All painters are in a conversation with one another, looking, borrowing, and pushing painting in new directions. Wyczółkowski has something to say, and the conversation continues.