In a Studio 1905

Anton Azbe made this painting, In a Studio, with oil on canvas, and when I look at it, I feel like I am seeing a memory. A memory of making a painting! The brushstrokes are so gestural, like quick jots in a notebook. The colors are muted, mainly grays, browns, and whites, giving a sense of intimacy and melancholy. I imagine Azbe standing before the canvas, squinting, and trying to capture the essence of the moment. There's a figure in the painting with a red slash across their body. I wonder what he was thinking when he made that mark? Was he trying to define a form, or was it more of a feeling he was trying to convey? Maybe he was just having fun with the paint. I love how painting can be both an intellectual exercise and a completely intuitive act. Painters are always in conversation with each other, picking up on ideas and techniques and making them their own. You can see the history of painting in every brushstroke, every color choice.