The path by the river, Maidenhead 1919

Sir John Lavery made "The path by the river, Maidenhead" with oil paint, I think he was trying to capture a fleeting moment. It’s like, you can almost see him standing there, squinting in the sunlight, trying to get the mix of greens and browns just right. He’s really laying it on thick in some places, those tree trunks have some serious texture. And then there are those lighter, more transparent strokes giving the impression of dappled light. I wonder if he was thinking about the French Impressionists at the time. Those guys were all about capturing light and atmosphere, and Lavery seems to be doing something similar here. The whole painting has this kind of hazy, dreamlike quality that makes you feel like you’re right there, walking along that path. You know, painting is like a conversation between artists across time. They’re always riffing off each other, inspiring each other, and pushing the medium in new directions.