Portrait of Annamária Pálinkás 2003

Endre Bartos made this painting of Annamária Pálinkás with juicy marks of oil paint. The thick strokes of blues, yellows, and pinks were probably laid down wet into wet. I wonder how he mixed those colors on the canvas, pushing them together, creating a kind of vibrant optical effect. Imagine Bartos as a sensitive, sympathetic man. He observes Annamária, taking in the planes of her face, the set of her shoulders. She is sitting for him, but maybe not posing? He sees a flash of something in her face, a mood, and he tries to capture it with these daubs of paint. What was he thinking as he built up the hat with expressive strokes of yellow? What kind of conversation were they having? The painting reminds me of Van Gogh's portraits. Both artists use bold colors and brushstrokes to capture the inner life of their subjects. They remind us that painting is ultimately about feeling, not just seeing. It's like they are saying, "Let's talk about what it means to be human, in all our messy glory."