Portrait of a Woman 1924

This is Ivan Mrkvička’s “Portrait of a Woman,” made with oil paints at some point in the late 19th or early 20th century. The colours are muted, mostly dark, but it's the texture, the actual physical stuff of the paint that grabs me. Look closely and you'll see how Mrkvička builds up the layers, especially around her face and hands. It’s almost like he's sculpting with the paint. The way he models the light on her face, it's not just about representation, it's about presence, about the weight and feel of skin and bone. I love how he’s handled the black of her dress, losing the folds in shadow. Then, notice the little vase to the left of her head - the attention paid to this detail. This piece feels connected to the tradition of painters like Whistler, who were all about mood and atmosphere, but with its own quiet intensity. It’s a reminder that painting is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time.