Porträt Veronika Kirmaier im Schleissheimer Garten 1903

Leo Putz painted this portrait of Veronika Kirmaier, in the Schleissheimer Garten, with oils on canvas; a scene that's not just seen, but felt. The brushstrokes are pretty visible, aren't they? They are like little puzzle pieces that capture a fleeting moment, and they’re a reminder that a painting is really just a collection of marks. The way Putz captures light on the water, it’s not about perfection, but about the sensation of light, the impression of the garden. There's a dialogue happening between the flat surface of the canvas and the illusion of depth that's kind of charming. The juxtaposition of those thick, impasto strokes with the smoother, more blended areas creates a real sense of texture. It reminds me of how Monet was so obsessed with painting light. But whereas Monet was all about dissolving form into light, Putz seems more interested in the way light reveals the structure of things.