In the sun. Study 1904

Joan Brull painted this scene with oil on canvas. It's not dated, but I imagine him outside somewhere, dappled light on his subject, trying to capture fleeting moments of time. Brull’s brushstrokes dance like sunbeams, capturing the carefree spirit of childhood. Look at the way he layers the greens and browns, creating a lush backdrop for the children at play. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun on their skin. There's a real tension between the carefully rendered figures, the girl with her blue skirt, and the background which is more loosely painted. It reminds me of Vuillard or Bonnard. What do you think he was aiming for here? Was he interested in the real world at all? Or was he trying to create a feeling, a mood, an atmosphere? These are questions that artists have always asked themselves, and will keep asking, each time a new painting is made.