Béla Czóbel , Still Life with Chair 1917 

Béla Czóbel painted this Still Life with Chair in 1917. The first impression is one of compression, of objects packed tightly into a shallow space. Heavy impasto emphasizes the materiality of the paint itself, almost obscuring the still life elements. The painting's structure relies on a semiotic interplay between the objects represented and the brushstrokes used to depict them. We see a bowl, fruit, and a bottle, each rendered with thick, expressive marks. These marks don't just represent the objects; they also function as abstract shapes that create their own visual language. Czóbel challenges conventional representation by fragmenting and reassembling forms. The chair, barely visible in the background, is reduced to a few lines, destabilizing our sense of space and perspective. This approach reflects a broader artistic shift towards abstraction and a rejection of traditional academic painting. Ultimately, Still Life with Chair functions as a complex arrangement of color and texture. Its engagement with these elements moves beyond mere representation and invites ongoing visual and intellectual exploration.