Figures in stairs

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm (Sweden).

This painting of the Parisian period of the artist’s creative career has a complex vertical compositional construction. The viewer notices two figures at once – these are lovers embracing each other. However, the old man at the bottom of the stairs among the various geometric elements is not seen right away. The mature master achieved harmony in the choice of colour; the canvas is not overloaded with small details, as it was in his earlier works; this makes the painting similar to bright glass windows. This painting even has fragments not filled with a plot.