The Bog Cutting 1918

Paul Henry made this painting on canvas with oil paint; it shows a landscape with peat stacks and moody clouds. Looking at these peat stacks, I imagine Henry, out in the landscape, trying to capture the quiet solitude of this bog. It's almost like he's in conversation with the earth itself, using those muted browns and greens to echo the colours of the land. The paint looks pretty thin here, not too much texture, which lends it an airy quality. I'm drawn to the way he's handled the clouds. See how they dominate the sky? It feels like the weather itself is a character in this scene. Thinking about other painters, I can't help but think of Constable or maybe some of the Hudson River School guys. Artists are always riffing off each other, picking up ideas, and pushing them in new directions. It's one big, beautiful conversation that stretches across time. It's this kind of conversation that makes painting such a living, breathing thing.