Garverierne i Falaise, Normandiet 1901 - 1904

Othon Friesz made this watercolour of ‘Garverierne i Falaise, Normandiet’, sometime in his life, showing the tanneries in Falaise, Normandy. The warm hues and blurred forms create a dreamlike vision of the old town, and the brushwork is quite gestural, with visible strokes that convey a sense of immediacy and movement, as if the scene is alive and breathing. I imagine Friesz standing en plein air, quickly capturing the essence of the scene. What was he thinking as he built up these layers of paint, one over the other? The paint isn't too thick, which lets light reflect off the surface. Look at the way the trees blend into the sky, it almost evokes Cézanne. Friesz was part of the Fauvist movement, known for its vibrant colours and bold brushstrokes, though he later moved towards a more classical style. You can see the push and pull of these influences in the painting. It’s like he’s having a conversation with the history of painting, working through different ways of seeing and representing the world. Painters are always building on what came before, it’s a constant dialogue, an exchange of ideas that transcends time.