Mädchenporträt 1914

Leo Putz made this little oil painting, Mädchenporträt, and he really went for it with the brushstrokes. It’s all about the process, you can feel it. Putz uses paint like a sculptor uses clay, especially in her face. There's pink and red, a dab of white, all worked in short, choppy strokes, that somehow, magically, create a soft, youthful glow. And the autumn leaves behind her? Totally vibrant, almost aggressively yellow. He wasn’t shy with color, that’s for sure! It's like he’s showing us how he sees, layering experience and emotion. It reminds me of some of the Fauvist painters, like Derain, who were equally unafraid of bold color. But Putz brings a sweetness, a tenderness to his portrait that's all his own. It's a reminder that painting is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of how we see and feel.