Mexican Shawl 1938

Wyndham Lewis's painting, Mexican Shawl, is rendered in tones of umber, peach, and cream, enlivened by accents of green and red in the eponymous shawl. I can imagine him stepping back, squinting, then adding another layer, slowly building up the figure and the domestic space. He’s really working that limited palette here! It's like he's asking: How many ways can I mix these few colors? I wonder if he was thinking about Cezanne when he painted it. It feels solid and monumental, almost like a landscape. I’m curious about the woman. Is she meant to be a universal figure or someone he knew? The painting is both intimate and aloof, the woman seems lost in thought. I want to know her story! All artists are in conversation with each other, building on what came before. Painting is like a slow dance, a push and pull between intention and accident, until suddenly, there it is!