Hinter Den Kulissen 1905

Leo Putz’s painting, *Hinter Den Kulissen*, is a glimpse backstage. The canvas is alive with soft, gestural marks and a muted palette that almost feels like a whisper. I can almost feel Putz in the studio, coaxing these figures into existence through trial and error. What was he thinking? Perhaps he sought to capture the quiet moments of camaraderie and vulnerability away from the stage's glare. There’s a sense of intimacy—the women's bodies are soft, the paint itself applied with a delicate touch. Look at the legs of the woman playing the guitar! The way they're painted is so tender. The surface of the painting reveals how he built up the forms. There’s an exchange happening, a conversation amongst artists across time. It makes me want to pick up a brush.