Still Life 1916

Gino Severini made this still life with I'm guessing oil paints and a brush – maybe two – and a whole lot of looking! The process feels like a playful dance, each shape and colour responding to the others. Look at how Severini builds up the surfaces, thick in some places, thin in others, like that green bottle that fades into the background. The painting is a feast for the eyes, all these different textures, colors, and shapes. Take a look at that black form at the center with the wine glasses, you can almost see how he layered one colour over the other. It's like he's playing with the idea of what's real and what's not. Severini reminds me of Juan Gris, the way he breaks down objects into geometric forms, but Severini does it with this light touch, like he's not taking himself too seriously. Art should be like that, an invitation to look, to feel, to think, but also to have a good time.