Portrait of Elizabeth van Rysselberghe, Seated with Her Hands on the Table 1915

Theo van Rysselberghe painted this portrait of Elizabeth van Rysselberghe in 1915, and what grabs me first is the way the brushstrokes create a soft kind of focus. It’s not blurry, but gentle, like the whole painting is exhaling. Look at her hands. They are resting on the table, and the artist has used these tiny strokes to give them form. You can see all the colors that create a hand - greens, reds, browns, ochre - it's all there. The colors make something that is alive. They make something real. That is what is so amazing about painting, that we can take colors and layer them until we create a moment that resonates. I am reminded a little of Vuillard. Both artists give us a feeling of intimacy, a world that is quiet, where we can pause and breathe.