Peasant Woman 1909

Ipolit Strâmbu made this oil painting of a peasant woman, sometime in the early 20th century. Look at the delicate brushwork, the way the light seems to catch on the folds of her headscarf. I can almost smell the oil paint and imagine Strâmbu standing before the canvas, carefully building up layers of color. It's like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment, the way she pauses to smell a flower. You can see the influence of Impressionism, that interest in light and atmosphere, but there's also something very personal and intimate about it. What was she thinking? Did she know she was being watched? The subtle shades of white and grey, punctuated by the flash of red at her waist – it reminds me of Manet, and the way he used color to create a sense of drama and tension. Painting is an ongoing conversation, where artists borrow and steal from each other, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. I think Strâmbu was a pretty special guy.