Tigah, the Balinese Goddess 1940

Romualdo Locatelli painted Tigah, the Balinese Goddess, in oil on canvas, though the exact date remains unknown. It is the mark making, those small, choppy brushstrokes, that I notice first. They give the whole painting a kind of shimmering energy. Art making is just that, a process. It is a visual record of an activity. The material of the painting itself feels so present. You can see the thickness of the paint, especially in the white cloth behind Tigah, and you can almost feel the texture under your fingers. Look closely at the way Locatelli handles the skin tones, so subtle, so alive. It's not just about depicting a body, but about creating a vibrant, breathing form. This reminds me of Matisse in a way, that same joy in color and form. But where Matisse simplifies, Locatelli seems to revel in detail. Ultimately, art is a conversation, a back-and-forth across time and space, and this painting invites us to join in.