The Accordion Player 1919

Gino Severini conjured this painting of an accordion player, using oil paint, with an ambition to convey the multi-faceted dynamics of reality. The thing that strikes me about this work, besides its geometric breakdown of form, is the way Severini has built up such a variety of textures using what appears to be a relatively limited palette. Patches of green and brown sit alongside one another in an almost collage-like fashion, creating a feeling of depth and dimension. Look at the top left corner, the way he suggests the subtle undulations of fabric using only a few deft strokes of white paint. This emphasis on texture and materiality gives the painting a certain groundedness, a sense of weight and presence that is at odds with its Cubist fragmentation. Severini’s engagement with the real world reminds me a little of Leger. For both artists, it's the small things - the texture of a shirt, or the buttons on an accordion - that make life worth living. In his own way, Severini embraces ambiguity, leaving it up to us to piece together the puzzle of the player.