Retrato de Olga 1964

This is Rufino Tamayo's "Retrato de Olga," and what strikes me immediately is how he's built it up, layer upon layer, with paint that feels both matte and chalky. It's like he's sculpting with color, coaxing the image out from the surface. The orange of Olga's shawl just vibrates against the red background, and that slice of watermelon adds this jolt of unexpected sweetness. There's a real push and pull between representation and abstraction here. Look at the way he renders Olga's hands, just suggesting form without defining every detail. That single, dark stroke under her chin feels so deliberate, almost like a secret whispered into the painting. Tamayo’s from Oaxaca, Mexico, and his work has this really amazing mix of Mexican folk art with a modern European style. I think you can really see this mix in the work of someone like Marsden Hartley, with that same kind of earthy, soulful intensity. It all feels so intuitive, like he's letting the painting guide him.