Composition 1936

This painting by Karl Knaths shows us a scene with three figures, a cat, and a few other details, all rendered in an interesting combination of abstraction and realism. I love the texture in this painting. See the floorboards? The painting is thin in places but then gets thicker, lumpier almost, as it builds up a sense of interior space. What do you make of the person sweeping in the background? I imagine Knaths thinking about how figures interact, like how he might have seen similar scenes in other paintings and how he could reinvent this for himself. And who are these people? Look at the calendar on the wall. It almost feels like a stage set, doesn't it? Like we’re watching a play. It reminds me of Guston, and his way of simplifying forms to get at something truer. Painting can bring you closer to life, even as it’s also pulling it apart.