Patio la Sevilla 1920

"Patio la Sevilla" is a painting by Samuel Mutzner, and just looking at it makes me think about the many layers of paint he applied to that canvas. I can imagine Mutzner, brush in hand, mixing those colors and conjuring this vision, one loaded brushstroke at a time, as he built this space. The painting shimmers in a light palette of whites, pinks, greens and blues, an outdoor patio space emerges through the suggestive gestures. The paint seems thinly applied, and yet there's so much surface incident, so many points of contact and departure, it gives me the shivers. It reminds me a little of Monet's late paintings. Look at how Mutzner created that space of light, those delicate white dots, and the way he constructed that architectural structure. The conversation between painters never ends, with each artist building on the achievements of those who came before, borrowing some ideas and pushing in other directions. It makes me think about how each mark embodies a whole world of feeling and intention. It's not about fixed meanings, but rather about opening up spaces of possibility.