Spring 1913

Editor: Othon Friesz’s "Spring," painted in 1913 with oils on canvas, presents a somewhat hazy, dreamlike landscape. The arrangement of trees framing the water gives a stage-like impression. How would you approach interpreting this Fauvist artwork? Curator: Examining Friesz's "Spring" through a Formalist lens, one appreciates how he orchestrates color and form to establish a distinct visual rhythm. The brushstrokes, energetic and visible, don't merely depict the scene but construct it. The relationship between the muted blues and greens and the sporadic warm tones create depth. What compositional elements draw your eye, specifically? Editor: The stark verticals of the trees really hold my gaze, providing this constant, stable foundation amidst what otherwise feels like a swirl of movement and color. Also, how the swan motifs echo this sense of movement on the canvas. Curator: Precisely. And consider how the placement of these verticals structures the composition. They function less as literal representations of trees and more as compositional anchors, dividing the space while creating visual pathways into the scene. The reflections in the water distort reality into planes of color. Do you find that this emphasizes or de-emphasizes spatial depth? Editor: I’d say it emphasizes it, by creating multiple layers that play with reality and reflections of such, but also the reflections serve to flatten the water into an abstract play of color. So I think it accomplishes both in a single gesture. Curator: An astute observation. Friesz challenges the viewer to decipher the image not just through recognition, but through a deeper awareness of color and form. It’s not just *what* is depicted, but *how* it's depicted that conveys the sense of ‘spring’. Editor: It makes you appreciate the painting more as an experience, not just a representation. I learned a lot about seeing paintings for their forms today.