Muro - Nuvem Verde 1961

Joaquim Rodrigo made this painting, Muro - Nuvem Verde, with oil on canvas, though the date is unknown. The overall effect of the ochre ground is almost like a fresco, giving the impression of something elemental, maybe primitive. The textures and the marks are very visible, you can really see the hand of the artist in the application. There’s a wonderful dance between figuration and abstraction, the painting is not just a depiction, but an event. Look at how the red of the human figure, outlined in white, mirrors the red in the arrow shape pointing towards the text ‘Nuvem Verde’ as the red chickens scratch around below. It is almost like a comic strip. There is a real playfulness that reminds me a little of the work of Joan Miró. Like Miró, Rodrigo prompts us to consider art not just as a window onto the world, but as a space where our imaginations can take flight, where meaning is multiple and never quite fixed.