Company in a Coffee Shop 1941 - 1942

Cyprián Majerník made this painting, “Company in a Coffee Shop,” with what looks like oils and probably done alla prima, in one go! I can imagine him, standing there with his brush, smearing, wiping, and pushing these earth tones around—ochres, sepias, burnt umber, all those browns, with just a little red for a warm accent. There’s this dance between representation and abstraction. He's not just copying what he sees, but feeling his way through the painting, adding dabs of color to suggest faces, hats, and a tablecloth. The edges are soft, everything kind of blends together, like how memory works, right? Do you see that lone figure on the left? Almost erased, with an odd white rectangle next to them... Makes me think of other painters like Vuillard or Bonnard, who also played with these blurry scenes of everyday life. It's not about perfection but more about capturing a mood. A moment of quiet reflection. You can almost hear the murmur of conversation. And me? Well, I just love how painters keep talking to each other this way, across time!