SHARING WITH ME

Still life with herrings 1916 No, no, I will not be showing you Carcasses of Beef, or game for that matter....this was Laurent’s introduction to Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943) and I admit that the painter has the reputation of distorting his subjects or objects in a rather perverse way - probably to shock the viewer....Consequently if Soutine comes up in the conversation, I have always found that there is a slight disgust on the person’s face in front of me. I can’t say I like these pieces of meat which have also be drenched with real blood and that Soutine studied them day by day and was fascinated by the rotting flesh. Rembrandt did it and that is where Soutine found his inspiration. I do like his still life - Herrings - I think those fish are swimming toward me..... Seeing a painter that one knows well with someone who doesn’t know him at all is a discovery for me. Many of the landscapes we enjoyed together. There is a touch of Munch and trees occupy a fundamental place in the painti