East Wind 1904

Theo van Rysselberghe made this painting, East Wind, with what looks like myriad tiny brushstrokes—so many small dabs of paint! I wonder what it was like for him, standing there, maybe right on that rocky outcrop, feeling the wind and the spray, trying to capture the light as it flickers on the surface of the water. All of that energy, all of those sensations reduced to these dots of pigment so carefully placed. I imagine him working on it, not quite able to get the waves right, wiping it off, and starting again. What is it about water that pulls us in? Look how he balances that wild, churning sea with the solid, grounded forms of the rocks and trees. Like he's saying, "Yeah, the world's a mess, but there's still beauty and stability to be found." Painters like Van Rysselberghe are in constant conversation with each other. He was looking at Seurat, surely, who was looking at Monet, who was looking at Turner. That’s how painting evolves, a constant back-and-forth, each artist pushing the conversation in new directions.