Martwa natura z dzbanem i owocami 1915

Tadeusz Makowski made this still life with a pitcher and fruit probably sometime in the early 20th century, building up the image in layers of earthy browns and reds. I imagine him squinting, trying to nail the light as it glanced off the surfaces of the fruit. What a struggle, right? Balancing the forms, shifting them ever so slightly. You can feel the push and pull of the composition, the way the objects huddle together, casting shadows that deepen the mood. Look at the cross-hatched strokes in the background! So vigorous. Like he's trying to trap the air itself. I feel like Makowski would have understood Cezanne's obsession with apples, the way a simple piece of fruit can hold the weight of the world. Painters have always looked to each other for answers, for permission to keep going. It’s a conversation across time, a shared language of marks and colors.