Painter with Model 1934

Istvan Ilosvai Varga made 'Painter with Model' at some point, we don't know exactly when, using oil paint. There's something immediate in Varga's brushstrokes, like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment, or a feeling. The colors aren't exactly realistic, they're heightened, like a memory slightly distorted. Look at the way he's painted the model's skin, that orangey hue, it's not quite naturalistic, but it's full of life. It's this process of applying paint that interests me, Varga isn't trying to replicate reality; he's creating his own version of it. The textures in this painting are interesting; the way the paint is applied thickly in some areas, like the foliage behind the model. It’s almost as if the artist wants us to feel the density of the scene. Take a look at the tree to the right of the painter, those red branches really jump out. It’s like a roadmap of the artist’s hand movements. Varga's work reminds me of the German Expressionists like Kirchner, who were also interested in conveying emotions through bold colors and simplified forms. It's all part of this ongoing conversation that artists have with one another across time.