Le Verdos 1981

Włodzimierz Zakrzewski made this oil on canvas painting, Le Verdos, sometime in the 20th century. What strikes me is the way Zakrzewski uses short, deliberate strokes to build up the image, almost like mosaic tiles, creating a dense, vibrating surface. The color palette is muted, earthy, and predominantly cool, giving the scene a quiet, contemplative feel. The materiality of this piece is undeniable; the thick application of paint gives it a tactile quality. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the canvas. Look closely at the foreground: these are gestures which suggest tangled branches, using dark greys and blacks. They frame the distant house. This tension between near and far, dark and light, adds to the emotional weight of the piece. Zakrzewski’s method reminds me of Cezanne, an artist who was similarly interested in the process of seeing and building up form through color and brushwork. Like Cezanne, Zakrzewski invites us to slow down and really look, to appreciate the beauty of the everyday.