Cubist Composition 1918

María Blanchard made this Cubist Composition with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how she's used such a limited palette to suggest depth and form. There's a real sense of play here, like she's figuring things out as she goes. The way she builds up the surface is interesting. It's not about hiding the process, but rather embracing it. You can see the individual brushstrokes, the little bumps and ridges of the paint. I love the way she uses these little dots of paint, like punctuation marks scattered across the canvas. They give a sense of rhythm and movement, pulling your eye around the composition. It's like she's having a conversation with Picasso and Braque, but with her own distinct voice, less concerned with breaking things apart and more interested in putting them back together in a new and unexpected way. And that's what makes it so compelling. It's a painting that invites you to look closely and discover something new each time.