Madonna with a child on her lap 1930 - 1935

Mikuláš Galanda made this “Madonna with a child on her lap” with coloured pencils, and it's all about how the marks come together. It feels immediate, a kind of direct response. The blue and orange pencils create a real sense of depth, even though it’s totally flat. The blue feels cool and receding, while the orange pops forward. There’s a rhythm in the hatched lines, a kind of shorthand for volume and shadow, especially in the way the Madonna’s cloak is rendered. Look at the lines in the background – they create this simple, almost childlike sense of space. It's charming. It reminds me a bit of Matisse’s drawings, that same feeling of trying to capture the essence of a form with as few lines as possible. Galanda's piece isn't trying to nail down one specific meaning, it’s more about keeping the possibilities open.