Portrait of Annamária Pálinkás 2003

Endre Bartos made this Portrait of Annamária Pálinkás using oil paint and a loaded brush, a method which prioritizes the making of the mark over the thing being depicted. The palette is bold; pinks, blues, yellows, and greens, and the paint is put on thick, almost like frosting. The surface is built up in these short dabs and strokes which give a real sense of the presence of the artist; you can practically feel the weight and rhythm of his hand. Look at how he’s rendered the collar, just two quick slabs of white set against the dark blue of the jacket. It's like he’s saying, “Here’s the collar, but really, here's the paint!” It makes me think of German Expressionist painters like Kirchner, who used vibrant colors and expressive brushwork to convey intense emotion. Bartos isn't just showing us what Annamária Pálinkás looks like, he's letting us in on the act of seeing itself.