Still life with a bottle 1914 - 1918

This is a still life painting by Zygmunt Waliszewski, and it looks like it was made with oil paint. Look at the way Waliszewski has applied the paint in thick strokes. It’s almost sculptural. The green on the table and the painting within a painting just vibrate with energy. It’s like he’s not just representing objects, but also the act of seeing itself. I love the little dash of yellow in the lemon, how a single blob of color brings the whole thing to life. I'm reminded of Chaim Soutine, another painter who wasn’t afraid to load up the brush with paint and let the texture do the talking. There's an ongoing conversation about how to translate the world onto canvas, and I think Waliszewski adds a unique voice to the mix with this piece. He makes you realize that there is so much more to see than just what’s on the surface.