Wild Pear Tree 2006

Stefan Caltia conjures a world of delicate melancholy in this painting of a wild pear tree. Just imagine him outside, in the fading light, trying to catch the feeling of this quiet, lonely spot. The greys and browns are so restrained, yet so evocative. Caltia seems to be saying something about the endurance of nature, how even in the dead of winter, there is a stark beauty. The paint itself is applied thinly. The texture is smooth, letting the form and tone do the work. It reminds me of Luc Tuymans, in its quiet intensity, but it's got a folk-art quality too. Each thin branch is like a carefully drawn line, reaching out into the void. It’s a painting of a specific tree, but also a meditation on time, loss, and the quiet poetry of the everyday.