Molokani Carousing 1905

Niko Pirosmani made this painting, Molokani Carousing, with oil on oilcloth; a loaded table appears as a stage lit up against a midnight-black background. What I find so interesting is how the figures seem to materialize from the darkness—an arm raised in exclamation, a reclining figure with a glass in hand enjoying the party from the prone position. I see the artist, Pirosmani, laying down each layer—first the deep, enveloping background, then conjuring up these revelers one by one with delicate outlines and blocks of color. I wonder if, as he built this world, he felt himself pulled into the scene, perhaps imagining himself as the character at the bottom, lounging, watching the narrative unfold. Notice how economical the brushstrokes are—a few dabs of white suggest a shirt; the curve of a bottle emerges with a single, confident stroke. It reminds me how paintings are like conversations—across time, across cultures, artists are always responding to and building upon the work of those who came before.