Blumenterrasse im Wannseegarten nach Nordwesten 1920

Max Liebermann made this pastel drawing, Blumenterrasse im Wannseegarten nach Nordwesten, with what looks like quick and confident marks, a mix of blues, yellows, and greens over a warm ground. I can imagine him standing there, squinting, trying to capture the light as it flickers across the garden. It's like he’s thinking, "How can I make this feel alive?" You see that patch of blue, how it almost vibrates against the yellow? I bet he layered those colors, pushing and pulling until they buzzed with energy. Liebermann was part of the Impressionist movement in Germany, which wasn't always easy. I think he was trying to bring a sense of modern freedom to his work. He was looking at the world around him and trying to create something new. Maybe he's whispering to us, "Don’t be afraid to mess up, just keep going until it feels right." And to all of us artists out there, that’s really all we can do, right?