Peat digging 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker made this oil painting called 'Peat Digging' and well, when, we don't exactly know. But here's what I imagine... The painting feels like it came together pretty quickly, you know? Those juicy marks of blues and greens just layered on top of each other. I think it has something to do with the way the paint kinda drags across the surface, almost like she was trying to capture a moment. I can imagine her outside, smearing and daubing. There is a feeling of her trying to describe the light reflecting off the water as fast as possible. There’s something so sincere and heartfelt in Modersohn-Becker’s paintings. I keep coming back to the red roof in the distance. It's placed perfectly in the middle of all this green—like a tiny, pulsing heartbeat. And the brushstrokes! They're thick, raw, and full of energy, like she was wrestling with the paint to get it just right. So many painters since have been inspired to keep the conversation going. It's like the painting itself is alive, you know?