Swordsmen 1931

Tadeusz Makowski painted 'Swordsmen' and who knows when, but I reckon it involved a brush and some pretty thoughtful play. Look at how the paint’s been put down - not fussed, but considered. Like a child's drawing but with an adult's brain. This isn’t about showing off skill, it's more like getting at a feeling. Notice that red birdhouse peering out, all angles and flat planes. Then see that sunshine-yellow cartoon sun to the right? It is all so simple. It's like Makowski is reminding us not to get too serious about anything. Makowski’s got this way of letting the paint breathe. He keeps it translucent. I feel like the spaces in this painting are more about mood and a kind of raw, childlike imagination, than any polished performance. Maybe this is a nod to his Polish folk art roots, or maybe he just saw the world a little differently. Either way, he makes me think painting shouldn't always try so hard.