The Artist with his Wife 1943

Yiannis Moralis made this painting of himself and his wife at an undetermined time, presumably with oils on canvas. There is a sense of cool detachment to this painting, it doesn't feel like it was overworked. The brushstrokes are smoothed out and blended, resulting in a subdued color palette and a kind of still, quiet atmosphere. I can really appreciate how Moralis paid attention to the details of the clothing – the way the fabric drapes, the subtle shifts in color. I love how on the floor we can see a paintbrush, a palette knife and maybe even a little bottle of linseed oil. It is these details that connect us to the artist, and the intimate process of painting. This piece has a similar feeling as some of Balthus' portraits, in its sense of quiet melancholy, and restrained emotion. With a painting like this, the longer you look, the more you see. It’s less about what’s depicted and more about the feeling that it evokes, a kind of quietness and reflection.