Portait of John Polemis 1924

Paul Mathiopoulos made this portrait of John Polemis, and when I look at it, I feel a sense of calm, like something solid has come into being. The sepia color palette is so restrained, but within it there’s a whole world of tone. I feel like I’m looking at a photograph, not a painting! But Mathiopoulos's strokes are quite decisive, quite deliberate. Like he was very aware of the power of a line. He doesn't use many, but the ones he uses really count, like the curve of the shoulder. The suit and the man almost melt into one another. You can imagine the artist trying to catch John Polemis’ essence, his serious expression. Did he ever smile, I wonder? It looks like Mathiopoulos knew the work of Manet, perhaps? There's something similar in their tonal treatment of form. Painters build on one another, seeing each other’s work, finding new ways of seeing, being, feeling. Each artwork opens up the possibility of a new conversation.