Pirador 1960

Huguette Arthur Bertrand made this painting, Pirador, using oils and a somewhat limited palette. You can see her process – the way she’s unafraid to let the underlayers peek through. It’s like she’s showing us her work. The texture is smooth in some areas, almost like washes, and then thicker in others, particularly in those dark, almost black shapes dominating the canvas. Look how they hover, like dark birds in flight, or maybe abstract shapes she has moved about the canvas. Notice too, how the warm earth tones and stark whites dance around these forms, creating a sense of movement and tension. There is a strong sense of gesture, of the hand moving quickly and decisively. Bertrand has echoes of artists like Pierre Soulages, but with a lighter touch. Her work reminds us that painting is always an exchange, a conversation across time and between artists.