Old Woman Drinking Tea 1907

Antonio Mancini made this painting, Old Woman Drinking Tea, with oil paint. The brushstrokes are visible, almost frantic, and the color palette is muted, like memory fading at the edges. It’s all about process here, the act of building an image through layers of paint, rather than aiming for a slick representation. Up close, you can see how the texture and surface are so physical. The paint isn't trying to hide itself; it's thick in places, almost sculptural. Look at the old woman’s hands and the way Mancini has captured the fragility of the bones through the layering of colors. It’s not just about depicting a hand, it’s about feeling it. You can almost imagine Mancini digging into the canvas, trying to grasp something intangible. This piece reminds me of someone like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also had that raw, honest approach to portraiture. Ultimately, paintings are ongoing conversations, inviting us to see the world, and each other, in new ways.