Dying the clothes 1905

Jose Malhoa made this painting, Dying the Clothes, with oil paints on what looks like a sunny day. The colour palette is earthy, but then there's this vibrant burst of red in the bowl and the woman's clothes, which suggests something active is going on. Art-making, like dyeing, is always a process of transformation. If you get close, you can see how Malhoa layers the paint, thick in some areas, thin in others, creating a tactile surface. The rocks she kneels on are all chunky marks of white, grey and ochre. The woman is caught in a moment of labor, her hands submerged in the dye, and it makes you think about all the unseen work in the world. That big, round bowl of dye is like a focal point. The way Malhoa handles the paint here makes me think of Courbet's realism, but with a Portuguese twist. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation, echoing and transforming what came before.