Thorvald Stang 1909

Edvard Munch made this portrait of Thorvald Stang with oil on canvas, but honestly, it feels like he was using house paint. It's so refreshing to see a portrait that doesn't get bogged down in perfection! I'm really drawn to the way Munch lays down the paint. The brushstrokes are so visible, especially in the background, where you can see these lovely, scumbled marks of lavender and cream. They almost feel like an afterthought, yet they give the whole painting this amazing, dreamy quality. And then there's the figure himself, with his solid black suit. But then you look at his face, and it's like Munch is saying, "Hey, I'm not just some portrait painter." There's so much texture and depth there. Munch seems like someone who really understood how to turn paint into feeling. It makes me think of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who wasn't afraid to get messy. Art is a conversation, and they're all just riffing off each other.