Morning – Bosvoorde 1913

Editor: Rik Wouters' "Morning – Bosvoorde," created in 1913 using watercolor with an impasto effect, feels almost like a dreamscape. The colors are vibrant, yet the scene seems to dissolve into abstraction. What do you see in this piece, beyond the immediate impression? Curator: I see Wouters grappling with the rapid modernization of the early 20th century, filtering it through an intensely personal, almost utopian lens. Consider the context: Belgium was experiencing massive industrial growth, yet here's Wouters, turning away from urban anxieties, towards the countryside. The choice of watercolor itself speaks volumes. It's a medium often associated with the ephemeral, the fleeting moment, suggesting a deliberate attempt to capture a sense of disappearing natural beauty in the face of progress. Do you think the blurring of forms contributes to that feeling? Editor: Definitely. The lack of crisp lines makes the scene feel less solid, more like a memory. It's as though he's not just painting a landscape, but also a feeling. Curator: Exactly! And that feeling, that subjective experience, aligns him with the Expressionists, but also marks a turn inward. Think about the role of the "Morning" as a loaded symbol – fresh starts, potential, optimism. But what does it mean to situate that hope within a rapidly changing, and arguably destructive, socio-political landscape? Is Wouters critiquing the relentless march of progress by idealizing nature, or is he simply offering an escape? Editor: That's a powerful thought! Perhaps it’s both: a refuge and a subtle act of resistance, preserving the inherent value of nature when other views are beginning to disregard that view. Curator: Indeed! Wouters’ "Morning" then, isn't just a pretty landscape, but an intersectional commentary on modernity, nature, and the search for meaning in a changing world. Editor: I will definitely not look at landscapes the same way again after this insightful explanation!