Houses 1932

Vasile Dobrian made this painting, "Houses," with what looks like watercolor and maybe some ink line. It feels so immediate, doesn’t it? I imagine him outside, maybe on a warm day, squinting a bit as he’s trying to capture the light on these buildings. See how the brushstrokes are loose, kind of wobbly, as if he’s trying to grab the essence of the place before it shifts, like a memory. The ochre and sienna roofs contrast against the cooler blues and greens of the trees. The fence in the foreground almost acts like a screen, a barrier between us and the scene, but also an invitation to look closer. I wonder if Dobrian knew the Impressionists? There’s something about the way he’s rendered the light and shadow that reminds me of them. I'm thinking particularly of Cezanne's watercolors – the same feeling of capturing a fleeting moment. It’s like he’s saying, this is how I see this place, right now. It's a moment of connection, an exchange between him, the scene, and us, the viewers.