Naked in the woods, 1932

Alekos Kontopoulos painted “Naked in the woods” without specifying the date, and you can sense him working with the painting, adjusting things over time. Imagine him, easel set up amidst the trees, trying to capture this figure in the round. It's like he's searching, using thin layers of paint, kind of see-through, to build up the form. He’s grappling with the tradition of representing the nude, but in his own way. The palette is soft: earthy greens, browns, the pinks and ochres of flesh. See how the brushstrokes around her body aren't trying to hide? They acknowledge the paint itself. It reminds me of some of the early modernists. They are all in conversation together; they all want to represent the body in a new way. Ultimately, this feels like a painting that's more about the act of seeing and painting than about perfect representation. It's a moment caught in paint.