The Violinist 1903

Theo van Rysselberghe made this painting of a violinist, we’re not sure when, with oil on canvas. He’s using the pointillist technique here: little dots of pure color that mix in your eye. It's like he’s saying, "Hey, look how paintings are made! One dab at a time!" When you look closely, it's just a sea of colored confetti, but step back, and it all comes together. I love that the face is in shadow: it's all about the dress and the violin. That electric blue dress with a tiny floral motif against the field of similarly applied blues and violets, reminds me of the way Klimt used decorative elements. Art's not about perfection; it's about the messy, the uncertain, and the ongoing conversation between artists.