Paysans 1936

Georges Rouault made this piece, Paysans, with ink, and you can really feel the weight of the medium in the heavy black lines. The inky darkness creates a sense of solidity, but there's also something fragile about the thin paper supporting it. Look at how the broad strokes define the figures, creating shapes and forms with a brutal kind of efficiency. There is a powerful push and pull between the figures and the ground. The white of the page is essential, not just emptiness, but the stark contrast is what gives the image its energy. Take the head of the leftmost figure, see how the shape is defined by a thick and curving line, while the interior features are suggested with more delicate, almost hesitant strokes. Rouault’s work often reminds me of Kathe Kollwitz, both artists unafraid to confront the harsh realities of human existence with unflinching honesty. It's not about beauty, but about truth and the messy, complicated beauty of human experience.