The Great Things of Life-Travel 1921

Dean Cornwell made this image, "The Great Things of Life-Travel," and it's like stepping into a vintage postcard, heavy on the nostalgia. You can almost smell the oil paint and hear the rumble of that old car engine. The surface is thick with brushstrokes; each dab feels like a little decision Cornwell made, a response to the light, the scene, the very air around him. Look how the light hits the faces – those little flicks of white and gold bring them to life! I bet Cornwell stood back, squinted, and then dove back in with another swipe of color. There's this one figure, leaning into the back of the car – you just know he’s muttering about the luggage. That gesture says so much about the anticipation of the journey and the mild chaos of getting started. What a fabulous painter! He makes me want to grab my brushes and get lost in the sheer joy of color and form.