Summer 1906

Charles Courtney Curran made this painting, Summer, and what strikes me is that it looks like it came together in layers of light and air. The whole canvas is filled with a kind of hazy, dreamy atmosphere. I imagine Curran, standing outside, squinting into the sun, trying to capture that particular kind of light. What I notice most is the whiteness. How the white of the dresses and daisies blend together, with the figures almost disappearing into the field. There’s a real confidence in the brushwork. And isn't that what painting is all about? It’s like Curran is having a conversation with the Impressionists, like Monet, but also finding his own way of seeing and painting the world. In the end, it’s not just about what you see, but how you feel, and how you translate that onto canvas.