Die Bergmäher 1907

This is Albin Egger-Lienz’s ‘Die Bergmäher,’ or ‘The Mountain Mowers.’ It's undated but likely made with oil on canvas in the early 20th century. Look at these men, the colours are subtle, almost monotone, as if to emphasize the repetitive task of mowing. I wonder what it was like to be Egger-Lienz? I imagine him outdoors with his easel, trying to capture the essence of these men and their toil. See how he has rendered the figures? His brushwork looks almost sculpted. The paint is applied in thick layers, giving the impression of weightiness, of their toil and the thick mountain air. There's a rhythm in their movements, a dance of labor and survival. The mowers stand, hunched, their bodies bent with each stroke of the scythe. Egger-Lienz has reduced them to an almost symbolic state. The artist has found a way to evoke a mood, a feeling of quiet desperation. That is the essence of painting for me - the conversation between the artist and the canvas and the artist with each other through time.