The painter and the time 1938

Andre Masson made this painting, "The painter and the time" with oil, and the process feels far from concealed. The image seems to assemble itself right before our eyes. Masson attacks the canvas with looping brushstrokes of ochre, umber, and sienna. These colors evoke earthy tones of foliage, framing a painterly face. A tiny brush is held in the foreground by a vivid yellow hand, like it's ready to animate the scene. What I notice is the layering of figures and the contrast of smooth gradients and abrupt changes in tone. The texture of the leaves, for example, seems almost sculpted from paint, a bit like Ensor. The painting embraces ambiguity, suggesting multiple realities coexisting on the canvas. It reminds us that art is not just about what we see, but also about how we see, inviting us to question our perceptions and embrace the unpredictable nature of artistic creation.