Untitled 

Montserrat Gudiol painted this untitled artwork using oil on canvas, a technique that, from the Renaissance onward, has allowed for a particular kind of layering and luminosity. Notice how Gudiol has handled the oil paint, building up layer upon layer of red. This isn’t the slick, blended kind of surface you often see in classical painting; instead, the picture has a dry, almost matte appearance, with visible brushstrokes throughout the composition. The artist created this image with simple tools: brushes to apply paint and a canvas stretched to receive it. But the sheer amount of work involved is significant, as is the labor of preparing pigments. The resulting subtle variations in tone and texture create a palpable sense of depth. By emphasizing the materiality and the making process, Gudiol challenges conventional ideas about painting and invites us to appreciate the inherent qualities of the medium.