Portrait of Ilya Zdanevich 1913

Niko Pirosmani created this ‘Portrait of Ilya Zdanevich’ with oil on oilcloth, and what strikes me is how the painting feels like it's breathing. The color palette is earthy and rich, rendered with broad brushstrokes, with all the tonal variation you might find in the bark of a tree. Look at the tree stump, for instance. The paint is applied in layers, almost like sediment, giving it a palpable weight, and yet there's a translucence there too, with light passing through it. It’s the kind of painting where you get lost in the details, like the leaves to the left of the stump. Each one is unique and imperfect, but they're all arranged in a way that feels harmonious. Like a chorus line in a musical. Pirosmani reminds me a little of Henri Rousseau – both artists who were self-taught and developed a unique visual language all their own. What I take away from both of their works is that art is an ongoing experiment, where fixed meanings are less important than embracing ambiguity.