Triste Os from Cirque de l'Etoile Filante 1934

This is Georges Rouault's "Triste Os from Cirque de l'Etoile Filante", it looks like it was probably made with paint and maybe some ink. The whole image feels like it’s been built up from decisive marks, heavy outlines in black that trap the light. There's something gutsy about the color choices too; this ochre body is jarring against the ruff of white, like a clown costume under a spotlight. I love the way the paint sits on the surface, thick and almost crusty in places, which feels pretty raw, like the artist was really wrestling with the materials. Look at the way Rouault applied paint around the mouth, it's all smudged, like a scream has been wiped away. It's in these details we start to see this isn't just a picture of a clown, but a portrait of human pain. Rouault’s color reminds me a little of early German Expressionists like Emil Nolde. Like them, he wasn't afraid of rawness, and embraced the idea that art could be a place to show the uncomfortable sides of life. Ultimately, it's a painting that invites you to bring your own feelings into play, there's no right or wrong way to feel about it.