El Borracho 1926

María Blanchard made this painting, called El Borracho, with oil on canvas. Look at the brushwork: there are so many visible marks, and it feels like we're right there in the process, watching the image come into being. I am drawn to the way Blanchard models the figure's vest with chunky, rhythmic strokes. It's like she's carving the form out of paint, building up layers of texture and color. Notice the way the stripes warp and bend, creating a sense of movement and depth. She uses a limited palette of ochres, blues, and whites to create this earthy scene. The colors feel muted and sober, matching the mood of the subject. This piece makes me think of how an artist’s mark-making can be a kind of language, speaking to us beyond representation. It also brings to mind the work of artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who similarly used bold, expressive brushwork to depict scenes of everyday life.