Curt Valentin 1946

Andre Masson made this portrait of Curt Valentin using charcoal. The soft, smudgy marks blend light and shadow, forming the face of the famous art dealer. Imagine Masson’s hand moving across the page, capturing Valentin’s profile with these quick, expressive lines. It feels like he's trying to capture a likeness, but also something deeper. What was Masson trying to convey about Valentin’s character? Masson was part of the Surrealist movement, and his art often explored spontaneity and the subconscious. He was interested in the human psyche. The charcoal texture almost feels like a thought taking shape, emerging from the darkness. It's like he's having a conversation with the paper. The smudges might be erasures of the artist. A give and take. A to and fro. The legacy of Masson lives on today, and it's incredible to see how artists build upon each other's ideas, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. Each stroke embodies feeling and the spirit of experimentation!