Through the Vines 1908

Frederick Carl Frieseke made this oil on canvas, Through the Vines, and it's just bursting with sunshine and color. You can almost feel the dappled light on your skin. I imagine Frieseke standing there, squinting slightly, trying to capture the way the light filters through the leaves and bounces off the water. Did he mix those greens and blues himself, searching for just the right shade to match the shimmering surface? He probably had to get the composition right, placing the figure amidst the vines to create that sense of enclosure and intimacy. The way he handled the paint is quite free. See those brushstrokes? They’re not trying to hide or be too precious. Each one feels like a little burst of energy, adding to the overall vibrancy of the scene. It reminds me a little of the way Bonnard used colour. It's all about capturing a feeling, a moment in time. And isn’t that what painting is all about? Trying to capture something fleeting and turn it into something lasting.