Judith 1930

Marie Laurencin made this painting, Judith, in 1930. It’s got this ghostly atmosphere, where the pastel colours are floating on the surface. The painting isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it's real. Instead, it emphasizes its constructed nature. Laurencin’s application of paint is super interesting. There are thin layers of colour, a bit chalky, that allow the light to bounce around. In the lower left of the picture is the face of the second figure. You can really see her process here. Look closely, and you can see the layers, the pale fleshy colour laid over the greyish blue underneath. The way she’s built up the form is quite gestural, which gives a certain looseness. The flattened perspective and simplified forms remind me of other artists, like Matisse, who were also thinking about how to represent depth and volume in new ways. But Laurencin has a flavour all of her own! Ultimately, this painting feels more like a dream, an intimate and personal space, rather than a story.