Aquarium 1909

Theo van Rysselberghe made this untitled aquarium painting with oil on canvas. It's just buzzing with life, isn’t it? There's a kind of optical dazzle effect, where the whole is really more than the sum of its parts, as if the whole canvas is made up of individual points of colour, like a field of flowers. The whole painting feels alive with its own internal rhythms. The orange really vibrates against the green, right? It's almost overwhelming, but in a good way, like a carnival or an underwater dream. Notice the way the artist builds up the texture, especially in the coral. Each little dab of paint feels considered, like a tiny, deliberate gesture. And the fish! They're not just swimming; they're dancing through this crazy, colorful world. Looking at this, I'm reminded of Bonnard and his intimate domestic interiors, but, you know, with fish.