Kallmünz – Gabriele Münter painting I 1903

Wassily Kandinsky made this painting of Gabriele Münter, probably outdoors, en plein air, with thick, juicy strokes of oil paint. I can almost feel the sun on my face as I look at it! There's so much green and light that I imagine him squeezing paint directly from the tube onto the canvas. Look at the mark-making: those confident strokes building up the form of the buildings, water, and figure beneath the umbrella. I wonder if he started with a general impression, then gradually zeroed in on the details? It reminds me of some of my own painting experiences, that wrestling match between intention and the unpredictable nature of paint. I see him, brush in hand, responding to the scene before him, but also to the evolving language of the painting itself. He’s not just recording what he sees; he’s in conversation with the act of painting, with the history of painting. Painters are always talking to each other!