Details
The image
A figure with the hands crossed behind the head, the body drawn once in outline and then filled with colour that ignores the drawing. The face is the only place where the line follows anatomy; everywhere else it simply closes a shape and lets the colour do the work.
Where it comes from
This is the method of an architect who drew and painted every morning before turning to buildings, and whose late works are built exactly this way: one contour, then flat colour laid over it without adjustment. The approach has more in common with the cut-out than with the sketch, because the line is a boundary rather than a description. It is also why the sheets work at poster size, where a hesitant line would disappear and a decisive one holds.
On the wall
It brings colour and a figure into a room without detail, so it suits a study, a hallway or a living room with plain furniture. Because the composition is bold and the palette strong, it needs a plain wall and even light. In a group it should be the piece that sets the rhythm.
In company
Hung as a pair with something from the Modern collection, it gains rather than loses.Avoid hanging it beside delicate, tonal work, where the colour would look accidental.
