Veneetsia 1922 - 1923

Konrad Mägi painted "Veneetsia," likely with oils, capturing a moment in Venice with a spirited touch. The texture of the paint gives the impression that Mägi worked quickly, with visible brushstrokes building up the image. It's like watching him decide where to put everything, stroke by stroke. The blues of the water and sky are so juicy, alive with the memory of a sunny day. I keep coming back to the way he painted the boats at the front. These aren't just boats; they're characters, looming close and kind of messy. He also embraces a kind of Fauvist brightness in his depiction of the sails. I'm reminded a bit of Raoul Dufy, but maybe that's just because the blue is so wonderful here. Painting, like life, is about constantly looking, reacting, and revising. And like Mägi’s Veneetsia, it’s often a beautiful mess.