July (‘Summer Luxuriance’) c. 1890 - 1910

Jac van Looij captured ‘July (‘Summer Luxuriance’)’ using oil on canvas to create a dreamlike vision. The canvas is dominated by a sea of blue, punctuated by the soft, blurred forms of flowers. Above, a dark hedgerow provides a horizon line, grounding the composition and leading the eye towards a distant, glowing sunset. Looij's application of colour and form invites us into a space where traditional representation gives way to sensory experience. The blue field can be interpreted through the lens of semiotics, where colours are symbols. Here, the overwhelming blue might signify tranquility, depth, or even a sense of melancholic introspection. The lack of defined shapes pushes the work towards abstraction, reflecting a broader artistic trend at the time. The blurred boundary between the natural and the abstract makes us question the nature of perception itself. The painting functions not merely as a depiction but as an invitation to explore the emotional and philosophical dimensions of colour and form.