Visage 1941

Victor Brauner made "Visage" in 1941 with watercolour and ink. The delicate washes of colour and the thin lines of ink suggest an intimate and painstaking process. I imagine Brauner hovering over the paper, coaxing the face into being. The texture of the paint is so delicate that it gives the impression of the face emerging from the depths of the paper itself. The artist would have had to feel his way intuitively to realize this image. Did he begin with the eyes, or did the profile come first? The two eyes are slightly misaligned, suggesting a face that is not quite "together," and, like many of Brauner's paintings, the figure is caught between worlds. I find myself thinking about the way Brauner seems to be in conversation with other painters of his era, such as Picasso and Klee, with the use of fragmented forms. Painting is an ongoing conversation, and Brauner takes his place, offering his unique voice. It's a reminder that painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations, and that what we bring to it completes its meaning.