The Tortoise Trainer 1906

Osman Hamdi painted The Tortoise Trainer, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, with oil on canvas. Hamdi's mark-making is so controlled and precise, you can really see how the process of layering glaze after glaze builds up the colour and depth of this interior scene. The surface is incredibly smooth, but if you look closely at the way the light catches the red robe, you can see the delicate brushwork. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric. Then there's that wall behind him, a real patchwork of textures, the rough plaster contrasting with the cool smoothness of the glazed tiles. I'm drawn to the crack in the archway just behind the trainer's head, it is this one simple line that throws the entire composition off kilter. Is this a metaphor for the difficulty of pushing against the established order? Hamdi’s use of symbolism reminds me a little of Delacroix, but with a gentler, more human touch. Ultimately, this painting is less about answers and more about asking questions, and maybe that's the point.