Reclining Nude 1940

Jankel Adler made this Reclining Nude with oil on canvas. The painting has this great way of layering colors and lines that makes you think about how he built it up, step by step. What strikes me is the texture. It looks like the paint is scrubbed into the canvas, almost raw, and yet there's a real tenderness to how the body is formed. Take a look at the way the lines trace the contours of the body, how they shift and change direction. It is like Adler is feeling his way around the subject, discovering it anew each time. The bright blues, reds and pinks feel daring. I love how the red pops on the lower part of the nude, drawing your eye in. Adler shares some sensibility with artists like Kirchner. Both play with form, color, and emotional intensity. But, in the end, this piece invites us to embrace ambiguity. There's no one way to see it.