Clown 1939

Cyprián Majerník made this painting of a clown, probably in oil paint, and it's the kind of painting where you can feel the artist working through something. It's all in these warm browns and fleshy pinks, laid down with brushstrokes that don't try to hide themselves. Look at how the color builds up around the nose, almost like a raw, tender spot. You can see the marks of the brush, each one a little decision, a little push and pull. The paint is thick in places, especially where the light catches the curve of his face. And then, around the eyes, the paint thins out, as if the artist is trying to capture a fleeting emotion. It reminds me of some of Guston's later work, that same sense of vulnerability and raw honesty, laid bare on the canvas. Art is a conversation, right? And this one feels like Majerník is having a heart-to-heart with himself, and maybe with us too.