Blue Nude 1947

Milton Avery painted this Blue Nude, and it's a masterclass in seeing how much you can say with the fewest marks. He's all about the process of simplification, like he's stripping away the unnecessary to get to the heart of things. Look at how the blue of the figure meets the yellow of the cloth she's laying on, it is a colour block dreamscape. Avery's surface is interesting; it's not about hiding the brushstrokes, it's like he wants you to know this is paint on canvas. His flat planes and fields of color remind me a bit of Matisse, but with an American sort of casualness. In the top right, see how he implies texture with these cross hatching strokes? It gives this depth to the painting. It’s a balancing act of simplicity and complexity.