César Moro 1937

Carlos Quizpez Asín captured César Moro in oil paint, freezing the image of a man in time. Looking at the colour, I'm thinking, wow, that painter has chosen a tight palette, so earthy, ochre-y. I wonder if Asín was mixing colours like mud, building the face up slowly? Layering skin tones like sediment? There’s something so solid about the face, especially the forehead and cheekbones. You can almost feel the cool smoothness of the paint. And that gaze! So direct, so unwavering. It makes me think about the relationship between the two artists and the wider artistic community. The way artists see each other, inspire each other, compete with each other. It's one great big conversation across time. The magic of painting, right? Freezing a moment, offering a glimpse into someone's soul.