Emilio Kalchschmidt - Colors and Brushes

We are faced with a so-called still life. Still lifes originated in the 16th century, when inanimate figures first began to take center stage and became pictorial exercises to demonstrate one's skill. From then on, they became increasingly frequent, and their appearance began to become an increasingly desirable decorative subject. Kalchschmidt often references painting in his still lifes, and this is evident here as well. We see a table on which are laid out art magazines, a book, tubes of paint, and various brushes and solvents. Displayed behind these materials is a painting in progress, or perhaps even already completed, depicting a bouquet of flowers in a vase. Furthermore, inside the small wooden box containing the paints, we also see a painting of a view; this can be interpreted as a further reference to Kalchschmidt's painting, as much of his fame is tied to landscape painting.

The painting is executed in watercolor on cardboard. The light and luminous quality of the watercolor gives the painting an almost ethereal appearance. This still life demonstrates Kalchschmidt's mastery of material manipulation and his ability to use a single technique to explore various expressive registers. The pigment, depending on the section of the painting, is more or less diluted, while the table, curtain, and some objects are painted with a thicker paint. Only in the paint box and on the flower painting depicted is a much more diluted layer of color used, a true reference to the possibilities of watercolor. Although it is a partially neglected technique today, it is nevertheless one of the most complex painting techniques. Precisely because it is a translucent color, it is not possible to make corrections by adding additional layers of paint; each brushstroke must be carefully calibrated to create a striking overall effect. The painting is imbued with a strong realism, like a mental snapshot of the creative moment. What remains constant in Kalchschmidt's painting, whether in oil or watercolor, is the spirit and desire to capture in the painting, with immediacy, the situation of light and atmosphere that make the vision unique and unrepeatable.

Emilio Kalchschmidt was a Novara painter born in 1902 and died in 1983. He was an important painter of urban landscapes, but is also remembered as an illustrator and caricaturist. In 1938, he participated in the exhibition Società per le Belle Arti ed Esposizione Permanente in Milan, displaying the paintings "Ponte Sesto" and "Paesaggio."

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