After the bath 1932

Mikuláš Galanda made this painting, "After the bath", with oil on canvas. It’s awash in a pinky-red that just vibrates. I love how the color and surface become almost one. You can see the strokes, but they blend into a kind of hazy, dreamy space. It’s all about the way Galanda builds up layers of color, letting the brushwork show just enough to keep it alive. Look at the way the figure seems to emerge from the background, almost like a memory. And then there’s that strand of golden hair, a tiny detail that just pops against all that pink. It reminds me a bit of Matisse and the way he could make a whole world out of just a few colors and shapes. It's all about feeling, about capturing a mood or a moment. And that's what makes it so special.