Cello Player 1944

Milton Avery painted this 'Cello Player' sometime in his career, probably with oils. Look at how Avery handles colour; these shapes come together like soft jigsaw pieces. It feels like each decision follows on from the one before. The pink of the wall makes a nice vibration with the blue of the dress; you can really feel the air between the colours. The blue looks soft and chalky. Then I look at the line of the cello itself. That dark, decisive line, set against the muted tones of the rest of the painting, really anchors the composition. It gives a kind of visual weight, a solidity to the form. What could be a pretty colour study is something much more interesting. I’m reminded of another great colourist, Matisse, and how he puts the dark line at the edge of things to bring them into focus. In the end, a painting is just a conversation between colours and shapes, and both Avery and Matisse really knew how to talk.