The Grove 1912

Andre Derain created this oil painting, The Grove, with visible brushstrokes of green, beige, and grey. You know, I can imagine Derain outside with his canvas, squinting in the sun, trying to capture how the light filters through the trees. The way the trunks curve and reach, it's like he's not just painting trees, but the energy of the place, the way it feels to be in a grove, surrounded by this organic architecture. The paint looks like it was applied in a rush, decisions made quickly, and that little bush in the front is an almost comic daub. I feel like I can see Derain’s struggle to make a solid form out of a mess of foliage, and in this painting, it’s so compelling because you can see the artist thinking and feeling his way through the painting process.